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I 


Catholic  Christianity 

and 

The  Modern  World 

A  Course  of  Sermons 
By 

Rev.  K.  Krogh-Tonning,  D.D. 


Translated  from  the  Revised  German  Edition' 

by 

A.  M.  Buchanan,  M.A.  (London) 


NEW   YORK 
JOSEPH    F.   WAGNER   (Inc.) 
LONDON:   B.   HERDER 


REMIGIUS  LAFORT,  D.D. 

Censor 

Jmpn'tnatur 

>i»JOHN  CARDINAL  FARLEY 

Archbishop  of  New  York 

LOAN  £ 

Nbw  York,  September  i6,  1916 


Copyright,  1916,  by  Joseph  F.  Wagner  (Inc.),  New  York 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE 


The  wide  renown  for  learning  and  pulpit  eloquence  which  Dr. 
Krogh-Tonning  gained  in  the  many  years  of  his  activity  as 
pastor  of  a  leading  Protestant  church  in  Christiania,  caused  the 
event  of  his  return  to  the  Catholic  Church  to  attract  a  great  deal 
of  attention. 

After  his  conversion  Dr.  Krogh-Tonning  pubUshed  a  number 
of  apologetic  works,  of  which  we  offer  here  the  one  which,  in  the 
original  as  well  as  in  its  French  and  German  versions,  became 
most  widely  known. 

The  popularity  and  esteem  which  this  work  enjoys  in  its  various 
foreign  editions  induced  the  present  English  version,  which,  it  is 
hoped,  will  be  received  as  a  useful  addition  to  our  apologetic 
literature. 

In  his  preface  to  the  original,  the  author  stated  as  the  aim  of 
his  work  the  endeavour  "  to  awaken  and  strengthen  the  con- 
sciousness of  all  that  which  unites  Christians  in  the  combat 
against  the  common  enemy:  modern  unbehef." 


CONTENTS 

Twenty-fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost  ^'^'^^ 

Is  it  a  Fact  that  God  takes  the  Willfor  the  Deed? i 

Twenty-fifth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Happiness 6 

Last  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Light  in  Darkness ii 

First  Sunday  of  Advent 

Fulfibnent  of  Prophecies i6 

Second  Sunday  of  Advent 

Men  who  wait  for  their  Lord 22 

Third  Sunday  of  Advent 

The  Voice  of  one  Crying  in  the  Wilderness 27 

Fourth  Sunday  of  Advent 

John  the  Baptist      31 

Christmas  Day 

Augustus  in  Rome  and  Christ  in  the  City  of  David 35 

Sunday  after  Christmas 

A  Sign  of  Contradiction  —  A  Token  of  Victory 39 

Sunday  after  New  Year's 

Christ  is  He  who  should  come 44 

First  Stinday  after  the  Epiphany 

"Fear  Not"      48 

Second  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany 

Christian  and  Pagan  Views  of  Marriage 52 

Third  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany 

Conversion 59 

Fourth  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany 

Tempest  and  Calm      63 

Fifth  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany 

The  Law  of  the  new  Dispensation 67 

Sixth  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany 

Faithfulness  and  its  Reward      72 

Septuagesima  Sunday 

Idleness,  Work,  Wages 76 

Sexacesima  Sunday 

Distressed  and  Scattered 81 

QuINQUAGESIMA    StTTOAY 

The  Baptism  of  Christ 88 

First  Sunday  in  Lent 

Joy 93 

Second  Sunday  in  Lent 

Gratitude  for  the  Forgiveness  of  Sin 98 

^  Third  Sunday  in  Lent 

"WTiosoever  Committeth  Sin,  is  the  Servant  of  Sin" 102 

Fourth  Sunday  in  Lent 

The  Spirit  of  the  World 106 

Paspion  Sunday 

Via  Dolorosa no 

Palm  Stwday 

A  Two-Fold  Hosanna "S 

Easter  Sunday 

"  With  Fear  and  Great  Joy  " 121 

Low  Sunday 

Peace  be  to  you 126 


CONTENTS 

Second  Sunday  after  Easter  page 

The  Good  Shepherd 130 

Third  Sunday  after  Easter 

Fear  and  Consolation      136 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Easter 

Our  Lord's  Prayer  for  His  Disciples 141 

Fifth  Sunday  after  Easter 

Unity 147 

The  Sunday  after  the  Ascension 

The  Destiny  of  the  Church  in  the  World 152 

Pentecost 

The  Holy  Ghost 156 

Trinity  Sunday 

Baptism,  Law  and  the  Church      161 

Second  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

The  Cross 165 

Third  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

The  Truth  and  Good  Manners 170 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Outward  Observances 173 

Fifth  Sitnday  after  Pentecost 

Childish  People  and  Obstinate      177 

Sixth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

How  do  we  Learn  to  Confess  Christ?      181 

Seventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

True  Justice 186 

Eighth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

"I  Have  Compassion  on  the  Multitude" 190 

Ninth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

The  Tree  and  its  Fruit 194 

Tenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

A  Standard  for  Appraising  the  Value  of  Life 197 

Eleventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Certainty  and  Fear 200 

Twelfth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Assent  and  Refusal / 204 

Thirteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Truth  and  its  Confession 208 

Fourteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

The  Law  of  Charity 213 

Fifteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

The  Value  of  Earthly  Possessions 218 

Sixteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Two  Masters 223 

Seventeenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

The  Strength  and  the  Weakness  of  Death      228 

Eighteenth  Sltnday  after  Pentecost 

Self-Exaltation  and  Self -Abasement 231 

Nineteenth  Slttoay  after  Pentecost 

Excuses  for  UnbeUef 235 

Twentieth  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Commandments  and  Counsels 240 

Twenty-first  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

The  Right  and  the  Wrong  Application  of  the  Words:  "All  is  Ready" 247 

Twenty-second  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Obstacles  to  our  Faith 251 

Twenty-third  Sunday  after  Pentecost 

Forgiving  Love 236 


CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN 

WORLD 

TWENTY-FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 

IS  IT  A  FACT  THAT  GOD  TAKES  THE  WILL  FOR 
THE  DEED? 

"Amen  I  say  to  you,  this  poor  widow  hath  cast  in  more  than  all  they  who 
have  cast  into  the  treasury." — Mark  xii,  43. 

Many  rich  people  had  cast  large  contributions  into  the  treasury, 
without  receiving  any  particular  praise  from  our  Lord,  but,  when 
the  poor  widow  approached  and  offered  a  trifling  gift,  He  com- 
mended her  highly,  for  her  desire  to  give  much,  not  because  she 
actually  did  so.  Her  desire  is  revealed  in  the  fact  that  she  gave 
all  that  for  the  moment  she  possessed — "her  whole  living,"  as  our 
Saviour  said.  Her  deed  was,  in  itself,  unimportant,  but  her  will 
was  very  good,  and  it  is  in  goodness  of  the  will  that  God  delights. 
We  often  hear  people  say  that  God  takes  the  will  for  the  deed ;  and 
in  one  sense  this  is  true,  but  the  truth  is  frequently  misunderstood 
and  wrongly  applied,  and  so  it  behooves  us  to  examine  this  saying 
carefully  and  discover  its  real  meaning. 

I.  Occasionally  we  are  told  that  our  outward  actions  have  in 
themselves  no  significance  at  all;  everything  depends  solely  upon 
the  intention  or  will,  that  if  only  the  aim  in  view  is  good,  God  does 
not  care  whether  or  no  the  action  performed  is  good.  Surely  this 
is  a  very  dangerous  theory ;  any  one  may  persuade  himself  that  he 
has  good  intentions,  and  that  therefore  it  does  not  much  matter  in 
God's  sight  if  he  neglects  to  do  what  is  obviously  his  duty,  or  if 
he  actually  does  something  that  is  wrong.  There  may  be  some 
truth  in  all  this,  but  at  the  same  time  there  is  great  risk  of  self- 

I 


2        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

deception.  St.  Paul  did  indeed  say:  "The  good  which  I  will,  I  do 
not,  but  the  evil  which  I  will  not,  that  I  do,"  and  he  consoled  him- 
self by  thinking:  "Now  if  I  do  that  which  I  will  not,  it  is  no  more 
I  that  do  it,  but  sin  that  dwelleth  in  me"  (Rom.  vii,  19,  20).  The 
Apostle  had  a  right  to  console  himself  thus,  because  he  was  a  very 
great  saint;  but  are  we,  ordinary  mortals,  justified  in  making  ex- 
cuses of  this  kind  for  our  own  lives,  so  poor  in  good  works  and  so 
full  of  evil  ?  St.  Paul  knew  for  certain  that  his  will  was  good,  and 
therefore  he  was  free  from  anxiety,  but  have  we  no  doubts  on  the 
subject? 

Let  us  beware  of  deceiving  ourselves.  Let  us  rather  acknowledge 
that  our  deficiency  in  really'  good  works  is  due,  as  a  rule,  to  our 
will,  which  is  unhappily  not  always  good,  or  is,  at  least,  lamentably 
weak  and  wavering.  Evil  desires  are,  on  the  contrary,  only  too 
strong,  and  we  yield  to  them  readily  enough.  Have  we  a  right, 
such  being  the  case,  to  console  ourselves  with  the  thought  that  God 
takes  the  will  for  the  deed?  Such  an  idea  is  almost  an  insult  to 
Him,  and  we  should  do  better  to  cry  out  with  St.  Paul :  "Unhappy 
man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ?" 

Is  it  possible  for  a  well-to-do  man,  when  he  sees  his  brother  in 
v/ant,  and  refuses  to  help  him,  to  plead  in  excuse  that  he  had  really 
felt  sorrow  for  his  neighbor's  misfortunes,  and  so  had  a  good  will? 
What  does  it  avail  for  a  drunkard  or  a  debauchee  to  say  to  himself : 
"I  desire  to  lead  a  decent  life;  I  feel  how  much  better  it  would  be; 
but  God  will  be  satisfied  with  my  good  will,  and  take  it  instead  of 
the  deed"?  Everyone  will  agree  in  pronouncing  arguments  of  this 
kind  to  be  blasphemous  perversions  of  the  saying  that  God  takes 
the  will  for  the  deed. 

In  these  cases  the  will  is  fundamentally  bad,  but  even  if  it  is 
really  good,  it  is  by  no  means  a  matter  of  indifference  whether  the 


TWENTY-FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  3 

will  is  realized  in  action,  or  is  frustrated  and  rendered  unfruitful. 
It  is  important  for  us  to  notice  that  the  more  we  wish  to  do  what 
is  right,  the  better  will  our  actions  become;  and,  conversely,  the 
more  we  succeed  in  doing  right,  the  stronger  will  be  our  will.  Well 
doing  confirms  us  in  good,  strengthens  our  will,  procures  for  us 
much  true  happiness  and  imparts  fresh  energy  for  good  works. 

Supposing,  however,  that  our  will  is  directed  to  evil,  what  are 
we  to  think  ?  Some  people  tell  us  that  all  depends  on  the  will,  and 
when  this  is  evil,  it  matters  little  whether  or  no  evil  actions  proceed 
from  it ;  that  from  the  moral  point  of  view  it  is  indifferent  whether 
a  wicked  deed  is  accomplished,  or  the  evil  desire  remains  ineffective. 
Such  persons  condemn  a  man  who  desires,  but  does  not  do  evil,  as 
severely  as  one  who  both  has  the  evil  desire  and  carries  it  into 
effect. 

This  condemnation  seems  to  testify  to  a  very  high  moral  stand- 
point, but  is  it  invariably  correct?  Sometimes  outward  respect- 
ability, which  deters  men  from  dishonesty,  is  held  up  to  ridicule, 
as  being  utterly  worthless.  In  his  indignation  at  this  proceeding, 
a  worthy  old  man  once  exclaimed :  "If  all  that  we  hear  about  out- 
ward respectability  is  true,  no  respectable  person  can  go  to  heaven." 
Of  course  it  is  true  that  no  one,  who  cares  exclusively  for  outward 
appearances,  can  claim  admission  to  the  Kingdom  of  God;  but  is 
a  worldly-minded  man,  who  leads  an  outwardly  blameless  life,  as 
bad  as  another,  who  does  not  attempt  to  restrain  or  suppress  his 
evil  passions?  Surely  not;  our  own  instinct  tells  us  that  this  is 
impossible.  It  is  with  the  utmost  pain  that  a  Christian  father  or 
mother  sees  a  child  go  astray,  but  it  makes  a  great  difference  to 
them  whether  their  son  continues  to  be  outwardly  respectable,  or 
abandons  himself  to  every  imaginable  vice.  As  a  rule,  one  who 
puts  some  restraint  upon  his  evil  passions,  and  does  not  allow  them 


4        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

to  manifest  themselves  in  action,  is  better  than  another,  who  lets 
them  run  riot.  The  former  exerts  some  amount  of  moral  force, 
and  so  stands  on  a  higher  level  than  the  latter.  This  is  one  reason, 
but  there  is  also  another:  Just  as  doing  right  strengthens  the  will 
in  what  is  good,  so  doing  wrong  strengthens  its  tendency  to  evil. 
The  first  time  that  a  man  commits  a  crime,  his  hand  trembles  and 
his  heart  beats  fast,  but  the  second  time  he  feels  less  emotion,  and 
ends  perhaps  by  feeling  none  at  all,  for  he  is  hardened  in  his  wick- 
edness. This  is  a  disastrous  result  of  wrong-doing,  and  proves 
plainly  what  a  mistake  it  is  to  regard  external  actions  as  of  no 
importance. 

2.  What  truth  is  there,  then,  in  the  saying  that  God  takes  the 
will  for  the  deed  ?  Let  us  examine  it  with  reference  both  to  a  good 
and  a  bad  intention. 

The  saying  is  fully  and  literally  true  in  cases  when  the  will  is 
really  good,  but  circumstances  preclude  all  possibility  of  carrying 
out  our  good  intentions.  This  was  obviously  the  case  with  the  poor 
widow  in  the  Temple.  What  she  did  was  very  little;  she  would 
gladly  have  done  more,  but  was  prevented  by  her  extreme  poverty. 
Our  Lord  recognized  her  good  will,  and,  taking  it  for  the  deed, 
commended  her  generosity.  If  you  are  sure  that  your  will  is  good, 
and  sure  too  that  you  cannot  accomplish  your  good  intentions,  al- 
though you  honestly  desire  to  do  so,  you  are  justified  in  consoling 
yourself  with  the  thought  that  God  takes  the  will  for  the  deed. 

Humble  Christians  do  not,  however,  derive  much  comfort  from 
this  argument,  being  always  uncertain  as  to  the  goodness  of  their 
will.  A  weak  will,  provided  that  it  aims  at  what  is  good,  is  a  good 
will,  and  our  Lord  must  frequently  be  satisfied  with  good  works 
that  are  few  in  number,  because  the  will  is  not  perfectly  decided  and 
steadfast.    A  weak  will  resembles  a  weak  faith,  and  we  know  that 


TWENTY-FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  5 

Christ  had  compassion  on  the  man  who  said :  "I  do  believe,  Lord ; 
help  my  unbelief"  (Mark  ix,  23),  In  the  same  way  He  will  accept 
a  will  that  is  good,  but  weak.  What  He  condemns  is,  not  the  weak, 
but  the  evil  will,  and  so  great  is  God's  mercy,  that  the  good  will, 
though  weak,  is  taken  for  the  deed. 

The  same  may  be  the  case  with  an  evil  will.  Many  a  man  goes 
scot  free,  who  is  inwardly  far  more  corrupt  than  a  criminal  suffer- 
ing the  punishment  of  his  sins.  God  sees  his  heart,  and  perceives 
his  will  to  be  altogether  directed  to  wickedness,  although  fear  of 
detection  deters  him  from  outwardly  criminal  actions.  Many  a 
one  goes  about  with  his  heart  full  of  the  foulest  impurity,  so  that 
only  the  dread  of  public  disgrace  saves  him  from  actual  immorality. 
Hence  publicans  and  sinners  may  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  more 
readily  than  a  self-righteous  Pharisee. 

If  you  are  uneasy  with  regard  to  your  will  and  actions,  follow 
the  publican's  example,  and  pray  humbly:  "God  be  merciful  to  me, 
a  sinner."  Pray  in  the  same  spirit  in  the  house  of  God,  and  seek 
there  forgiveness  for  all  your  sins.  Approach  the  altar  and  re- 
ceive the  most  holy  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ  to  strengthen  your 
wayward  and  uncertain  will,  and  then  go  forth  to  fight  the  good 
fight  of  faith,  being  sure  that  you  will  obtain  the  promised  victory. 


6        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

TWENTY-FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
HAPPINESS 

"The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  treasure  hidden  in  a  field,  which 
a  man  having  found,  hid  it,  and  for  joy  thereof  goeth  and  selleth  all  that 
he  hath,  and  buyeth  that  field." — Matt,  xiii,  44. 

The  evangelist  tells  us  of  a  treasure  that  brings  happines  to  its 
owner. 

I.  What  kind  of  treasure  is  it?  We  could  easily  find  thousands 
of  people  who,  although  they  are  very  rich,  never  enjoy  a  day's 
happiness.  They  have  everything  that  would  make  life  comfort- 
able, calm  and  pleasant,  but  they  have  never  found  peace  of  heart; 
and  realize  the  truth  of  Job's  words :  "The  life  of  man  upon  earth 
is  a  warfare,  and  his  days  are  like  the  days  of  a  hireling.  As  a 
servant  longeth  for  the  shade,  as  the  hireling  looketh  for  the  end 
of  his  work,  so  I  also  have  had  empty  months,  and  have  numbered 
to  myself  wearisome  nights"  (Job  vii,  1-3).  These  people  may 
have  the  means  of  procuring  every  luxury,  the  daintiest  food,  the 
most  expensive  amusements  at  home  and  abroad,  and  of  seeing  all 
the  most  beautiful  things  in  the  world,  but  after  allthey  are  dis- 
satisfied, weary  of  life  and  incapable  of  enjoying  anything.  They 
discover  many  things  on  their  way,  but  nowhere  do  they  feel  happy 
and  contented.  They  are  treated  with  much  respect,  and  are  praised 
in  newspapers  and  periodicals,  but  they  are  never  light-hearted; 
they  are  always  depressed  and  miserable.  Such  persons  are  apt  to 
put  an  end  to  their  own  lives,  so  overpowering  is  their  discontent. 

Everyone  acknowledges  that  this  is  a  strange  state  of  mind,  but 
it  is  not  everyone  who  reflects  that  such  a  disposition  affords  abso- 


TWENTY-FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  % 

lute  proof  of  the  incapacity  of  earthly  and  temporal  possessions  to 
render  their  owners  happy. 

This  is  a  fact  of  the  utmost  importance ;  we  may  almost  venture 
to  say  that  the  misery  now  prevalent  is  to  a  great  extent  due  to 
men's  failure  to  appreciate  this  truth.  As  Christians,  we  cannot  be 
blind  or  indifferent  to  want  and  suffering,  and  therefore  we  cannot 
stand  aloof  from  the  efforts  now  being  made  to  remove  these 
sources  of  unhappiness.  Some  of  the  most  capable  and  energetic 
churchmen  of  our  own  day  have  lavished  prayers  and  labor  in 
trying  to  avert  the  evils  of  modern  society.  That  they  have  done 
so  is  an  honor  to  the  Catholic  Church,  and  their  exertions  are  rec- 
ognized even  by  those  who  feel  for  her  nothing  but  hostility.  In 
social  work  our  antagonists  start  with  a  completely  mistaken 
theory.  They  are  anxious  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  masses, 
but  they  regard  the  possession  of  earthly  happiness  as  the  sole 
means  of  accomplishing  this  end.  They  consider  man  only  in  the 
natural,  and  not  in  the  supernatural  order,  and  as  long  as  they  look 
at  things  from  this  unfortunate  point  of  view,  the  social  question 
will  remain  for  them  an  insoluble  problem,  and  poverty  will  con- 
tinue to  be  felt  an  intolerable  burden  by  all  who  aim  exclusively 
at  the  acquisition  of  temporal  goods. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  true  happiness  consists  in  the 
fleeting  prosperity  of  this  world — a  mistake  likely  to  result  in  bitter 
disappointment,  despondency,  discontent,  envy,  hatred  and  revo- 
lutionary designs  on  the  part  of  the  turbulent  masses,  who  no 
longer  toil  to  acquire  imperishable  wealth,  because  they  have  ceased 
to  believe  in  it. 

The  experience  of  every  generation  shows  that  true  happiness 
is  not  to  be  obtained  by  means  of  what  is  temporal  and  worldly 
In  the  history  of  the  Church  we  read  of  many  who  renounced  all 


S       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

their  possessions  and  lived  in  poverty,  without  ever  missing  their 
riches.  They  toiled  and  ate  the  bread  of  the  poor,  without  ever 
longing  for  costly  banquets.  They  dedicated  their  lives  to  the 
service  of  the  needy,  without  uttering  a  word  of  complaint  at  their 
lack  of  all  comfort.  They  endured  scorn,  persecution  and  calumny, 
and  in  lowHness  and  peace  of  heart  submitted  to  the  abuse  and  ill- 
treatment  of  their  neighbors.  They  allowed  themselves  to  be  mis- 
judged and  condemned  by  men  incapable  of  understanding  them, 
and  received  nothing  in  return  for  their  good  works  but  hatred, 
which  they  repaid  with  love.  In  silence  they  suffered  the  storm  of 
persecution  to  break  over  them,  and  were  content  to  pray  for  their 
ignorant  persecutors.  And  in  this  life  of  charity  and  prayer  they 
enjoyed  a  happiness  that  was  proof  against  all  adversity. 

Is  it  not  strange  that  such  a  thing  is  not  only  possible,  but  actually 
took  place? 

Perhaps  many  of  us  have  never  considered  at  all  what  this  re- 
markable fact  proves.  It  shows  beyond  all  question  that,  hidden 
from  the  eyes  of  the  multitude,  like  the  treasure  buried  in  the  field, 
and  incomprehensible  to  the  vast  majority  of  mankind,  there  is 
something  capable  of  affording  happiness,  but  this  world  can  never 
bestow  it,  nor  take  it  away  from  one  who  is  fortunate  enough  to 
possess  it. 

What  is  this  treasure?  St.  Paul  tells  us  that  it  is  not  meat  and 
drink,  but  justice  and  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost  (Rom.  xiv, 
17).  If  you  hunger  and  thirst  after  happiness,  you  may  search 
the  whole  world  over  without  discovering  any  treasure  more  sure 
to  produce  it  than  justice,  peace  and  joy.  With  them  you  would  be 
happy,  and  lifted  far  above  all  the  misery  and  suffering  of  this  life. 
If  you  are  just  in  the  sight  of  God,  through  the  grace  of  Jesus 
Christ,  you  will  not  be  troubled  if  the  world  look  askance  at  you 


TWENTY-FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  9 

and  treat  you  as  a  malefactor.  If  you  are  at  peace  with  God,  you 
possess  happiness  of  which  the  world  can  never  rob  you,  for  you 
will  care  nothing  for  its  opinion.  Its  poisonous  shafts  may  injure 
your  body,  but  they  cannot  disturb  your  soul.  You  may  see  your 
earthly  prosperity  fade  away,  since  this  is  dependent  upon  the 
judgment  and  friendship  of  men,  but  we  must  not  rely  upon  these 
things,  if  we  understand  what  real  happiness  is;  and  every  Chris- 
tian can  shake  himself  free  from  their  trammels,  if  only  he  keeps 
his  eyes  fixed  on  the  priceless  glory  of  his  heavenly  treasure. 

When  once  you  have  experienced  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  you 
possess  a  source  of  happiness  for  which  the  world  would  envy  you, 
could  it  appreciate  its  value.  Even  the  sacrifices  demanded  by 
obedience  and  self-denial  afford  joy,  for  there  is  an  exquisite  de- 
light in  being  permitted  to  suffer  and  give  up  anything  in  order 
to  obey  and  serve  God  rather  than  man. 

2.  Where  is  this  treasure  to  be  found?  In  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven.  This  is  the  name  with  which  Christ  often  honored  His 
Church.  Yes,  the  Church  is  the  guardian  of  His  words  and  Sacra- 
ments, which  are  the  visible  means  whereby  the  treasures  of  the 
kingdom  are  conveyed  to  us.  The  man  in  the  parable,  having  once 
discovered  the  treasure,  dug  no  further,  for  he  knew  where  it  lay. 
The  merchant  risked  nothing  in  buying  the  pearl  of  great  price. 
And — thank  God — we  too  need  not  grope  in  the  darkness;  we  are 
not  left  to  our  own  feelings  and  fancies.  It  is  true  that  many  are 
guided  by  such  things  in  their  search  for  happiness,  and,  as  a  re- 
sult, they  never  discover  it,  for  they  never  emerge  from  darkness 
and  uncertainty.  If  your  search  is  to  be  successful,  abandon  your 
own  ideas,  lay  no  stress  upon  your  own  fickle  emotions,  but  follow 
our  Lord's  guidance  and  He  will  show  you  where  the  treasure  is 
hidden.     Go  to  the  throne  of  grace,  that  He  established  in  His 


10      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

Church,  and  there  you  will  find  deliverance  from  all  your  sins.  Go 
to  the  Holy  Table,  and  you  will  find  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost,  because  Jesus  Christ,  the  source  of  all  peace  and  joy,  gives 
Himself  to  us  there  with  His  innermost  life  and  with  all  the 
strength  of  the  world  to  come. 

3.  What  does  the  treasure  cost? — Like  the  merchant  in  the  par- 
able, we  must  give  up  everything  in  order  to  purchase  it.  But  be 
sure  that  what  we  give  up  is  only  what  we  possess  as  children  of 
this  world;  it  will  lose  all  value  in  your  sight  when  you  have  ac- 
quired the  treasures  of  God's  kingdom.  Give  up  your  sensual 
appetites,  that  only  drag  you  down,  and  in  their  place  take  the 
justice  of  God.  Give  up  your  inclination  to  think  too  much  of 
human  beings,  and  to  set  too  high  a  value  upon  their  good  will,  for 
this  tendency  is  a  snare  that  robs  you  of  peace  of  mind ;  take  in  its 
place  the  peace  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Give  up  your  pride  and 
vanity,  which  can  never  make  you  happy,  but  will  only  rob  you  of 
all  gladness.  Open  your  heart  to  joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  should 
God  demand  still  greater  sacrifices  of  you,  remember  that  it  is  but 
the  lower  part  of  your  nature  that  feels  the  pain  of  loss.  Let  this 
part  suffer  and  die,  for  the  life  of  the  spirit  gathers  strength  from 
the  mortification  of  the  flesh. 


LAST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  II 

LAST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 

LIGHT  IN  DARKNESS 

"He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living,  for  all  live  to  Him." 
— Luke  XX,  38. 

Life  in  this  world  resembles  a  sea-voyage ;  we  are  going  towards 
an  unknown  coast,  of  which  we  see  very  little  until  we  are  actually 
entering  the  harbor,  for  the  mist  obscures  it  from  our  sight.  Yet 
we  long  to  know  something  of  the  land  which  we  are  approaching, 
as  it  is  to  be  our  home,  and  many  of  our  loved  ones  already  dwell 
there.  How  are  they  faring?  How  shall  we  fare,  when  our  journey 
is  over  ?  These  questions  haunt  us,  but  we  cannot  answer  them ;  the 
mist  shrouds  everything,  and  only  now  and  then  does  a  ray  of  light 
pierce  through  the  gloom.  One  such  ray  proceeds  from  to-day's 
Gospel,  but,  before  we  examine  it,  let  me  first  point  out  that  in 
many  respects  people  of  the  present  day  are  just  like  those  who 
lived  1900  years  ago,  and  a  sharp  remark  or  a  bitter  jest  is  enough 
to  make  weak  characters  waver  in  their  faith,  or  deny  it  altogether. 
Ridicule  always  has  great  influence  among  those  who  delight  in 
laughing  at  others,  though  they  are  themselves  absurd.  The  Sad- 
ducees  believed  neither  in  the  resurrection,  nor  in  any  existence 
after  death,  and  they  tried  to  cast  ridicule  upon  people  who  ad- 
hered to  the  old  belief.  Hence  they  invented  the  story  of  the  woman 
with  seven  husbands,  not  perceiving  that  their  joke  rested  upon  a 
totally  false  hypothesis,  which  deprived  their  argument  of  all  force 
— a  thing  that  often  happens  under  similar  circumstances.  We 
ought  not  to  try  to  win  the  jesters  over  to  our  side,  nor  need  we 


12      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

trouble  too  much  about  them ;  all  the  ridicule  in  the  world  will  not 
overthrow  the  Catholic  Church,  nor  prove  our  hopes  to  be  vain, 
and  doomed  to  disappointment. 

It  is  quite  certain  that  there  is  a  life  after  death.  Christ  made 
this  perfectly  clear  by  speaking  of  God  as  the  God  of  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob.  These  three  patriarchs  had  long  been  dead,  but 
still  they  must  be  alive,  "for  He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of 
the  living."  There  are  many  allusions  in  Holy  Scripture  to  life  be- 
yond the  grave,  and  no  Christian,  who  believes  the  word  of  God, 
can  fail  to  be  convinced  by  them.  If  I  were  speaking  to  an  assembly 
of  freethinkers,  I  should  say:  "Is  it  conceivable  that  God  would 
totally  annihilate  a  creature  to  whom  He  has  once  given  life  ?  Such 
an  idea  is  incompatible  with  His  infinite  Perfection."  A  freethinker 
might  answer :  "Perhaps  so,  but  I  do  not  believe  in  God,  or  in  any 
invisible  world;  I  trust  only  to  the  evidence  of  my  own  senses." 
"Very  well,  but  is  it  in  harmony  with  our  experience  of  the  visible 
world  that  anything,  which  once  existed,  should  be  completely  anni- 
hilated?" Science  tells  us  that  it  is  not;  the  form,  composition  and 
attributes  of  things  may  change,  but  nothing  ever  ceases  absolutely 
to  exist.  How  then  can  you  maintain  that  the  soul  is  destroyed? 
You  profess  to  believe  only  in  this  world — where  in  the  world  will 
you  discover  any  evidence  in  support  of  your  theory?  All  experi- 
ence tends,  on  the  contrary,  to  prove  that  the  soul  continues  to 
exist.  There  is  a  strong  instinctive  belief  in  immortality,  planted 
deep  in  the  heart  of  every  human  being.  If  death  robs  you  of  wife, 
child  or  friend,  can  you  possibly  think  that  they  have  not  simply 
passed  out  of  sight,  but  are  cast  back  into  nothingness  and  exist 
no  more?  If  you  honestly  assure  me  that  such  is  your  belief,  I  can 
only  say  that  it  is  an  inhuman  idea,  and  that  if  you  thought  like 
other  human  beings,  you  would  answer  my  question  in  the  nega- 


LAST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  13 

tive."  There  is  a  life  after  death ;  Holy  Scripture  bears  witness  to 
it;  our  own  reason  and  instincts  proclaim  it. 

That  life  is  often  called  the  other  life,  because  in  many  respects 
it  dififers  from  our  present  existence.  In  it  there  is  no  sorrow, 
no  poverty  and  no  death;  but  over  and  above  these  points  of  dif- 
ference there  is  another,  revealed  to  us  in  to-day's  Gospel :  "They 
that  shall  be  accounted  worthy  of  that  world  and  of  the  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead,  shall  neither  be  married  nor  take  wives  .  .  . 
for  they  are  equal  to  the  angels."  "Equal  to  the  angels!"  This 
does  not  mean  that  we  shall  be  angels,  for  no  creature  can  turn 
into  something  essentially  different  from  what  it  was  before;  nor 
does  it  mean  that  we  shall  be  equal  to  them  in  every  respect,  but 
only  on  the  one  point,  that  there  will  be  no  further  propagation  of 
the  race  through  marriage.  When  once  the  number  of  mankind 
is  complete,  no  more  will  be  created,  and  the  number  of  human 
beings,  like  that  of  angels,  will  remain  constant.  This  alone  will 
make  the  mutual  relations  of  the  saints  in  heaven  utterly  unlike 
those  that  we  know  in  our  present  life. 

In  many  ways,  then,  life  after  death  will  be  another  life,  and  yet 
we  may  truthfully  call  it  still  the  same,  for  the  Gospel  shows  that 
every  one  of  us  will  remain  forever  the  same  person,  retaining  his 
own  individuality.  Abraham  continues  to  be  Abraham,  and  Isaac 
to  be  Isaac.  Moses  and  Elias  on  the  Mount  of  the  Transfiguration 
were  the  same  men  who  had  departed  from  this  earth.  In  the 
Apocalypse  we  read  of  a  great  multitude,  of  all  nations,  and  tribes, 
and  peoples,  and  tongues  (Apoc.  vii,  9),  and  this  shows  that  diversi- 
ties in  language  and  nationality  will  still  exist  in  the  life  to  come. 
How  could  St.  John  otherwise  have  known  that  he  was  looking  at 
men  of  various  races  and  tribes?  His  statement  justifies  our  con- 
cluding with  certainty  that  we  shall  recognize  one  another  in  heaven. 


14      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

Does  not  our  Lord  Himself  tell  us  that  the  friends  made  tiere  be- 
low will  receive  us  into  everlasting  dwellings?  (Luke  xvi,  9).  This 
is  indeed  a  welcome  ray  of  light,  flashing  out  from  the  land  that  we 
are  approaching.  When  we  reach  the  harbor,  our  loved  ones  will 
come  to  meet  us,  and  will  take  us  by  the  hand  and  lead  us  to  our 
Father's  house,  where  it  is  good  for  us  to  be. 

Another  question  that  often  presents  itself  is  this :  Do  our  friends 
who  have  gone  hence  know  what  we  are  doing  here  below?  With 
regard  to  the  relations  between  life  here  and  life  hereafter,  much  is 
inevitably  concealed  from  us  and  it  is  impossible  to  speak  with  abso- 
lute certainty,  but  we  are  fain  to  believe  that  God,  in  His  omnipo- 
tence and  love,  allows  them  to  see  us.  Their  sympathy  for  us  would 
thus  gain  in  intensity  and  their  intercession  in  fervor. 

We  are  sometimes  told  that  a  knowledge  of  our  troubles  would 
impair  their  happiness.  God's  compassion  is  far  greater  and  His 
insight  into  our  misery  is  much  more  profound,  and  yet  His  infinite 
happiness  is  not  thereby  diminished ;  so  He  is  surely  able  to  preserve 
His  friends  in  glory  from  suflFering  at  the  sight  of  our  misery. 

What  does  Holy  Scripture  tell  us  of  the  knowledge,  possessed  by 
the  departed,  of  our  life  and  actions?  We  read  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist  that  he  was  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  unto  the  chil- 
dren ...  to  prepare  unto  the  Lord  a  perfect  people  (Luke  i,  17). 
The  fathers  had  passed  away,  but  their  hearts  were  to  be  turned  to 
their  children  who  did  penance  and  forsook  their  evil  ways.  This 
seems  a  clear  indication  that  our  forefathers  are  aware  of  the  trans- 
gressions of  their  descendants  and  rejoice  at  their  conversion.  In 
the  Apocalypse  (vi,  9,  10),  the  souls  of  the  martyrs  under  the  altar 
cried:  "How  long,  O  Lord,  dost  Thou  not  judge  and  revenge  our 
blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  ?"  They  must  therefore  know 
something  of  what  is  going  on  here,  and  of  the  events  occurring 


LAST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  15 

in  the  Church ;  but  we  cannot  tell  how  they  receive  the  information, 
nor  how  much  they  see.  It  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  they 
behold,  reflected  in  the  Godhead,  things  that  are  of  especial  interest 
to  themselves.  There  is,  finally,  a  very  remarkable  passage  in  the 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews  (xii,  i),  where  the  Apostle  speaks  of  the 
great  men  of  old  as  "a  cloud  of  witnesses."  Many  learned  com- 
mentators understand  these  words  to  mean  that  the  saints  in  glory 
are  witnesses  of  our  struggles;  we  certainly  may  take  them  in  this 
sense,  if  we  choose. 

All  these  thoughts,  derived  from  Holy  Scripture,  do  not  indeed 
amount  to  a  brilliant  hght  cast  on  the  joys  awaiting  us  at  our  home- 
coming, but  we  may  at  least  call  them  a  ray  of  light,  piercing  the 
darkness  around  us. 

Let  us  think  often  of  the  Communion  of  Saints ;  it  is  a  most  con- 
soling article  in  our  creed:  We  are  all  one,  and  the  union  of  all 
saints,  both  in  this  world  and  the  next,  may  be  far  closer  than  we 
suppose. 


i6      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

FIRST  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT 

FULFILMENT  OF  PROPHECIES 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me,  wherefore  He  hath  anointed  me,  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor,  He  hath  sent  me,  to  heal  the  contrite  of  heart, 
to  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives  and  sight  to  the  bUnd,  to  set  at  liberty 
them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
day  of  reward." — Luke  iv,  i8,  19. 

These  words  refer  to  the  Jewish  year  of  jubilee,  the  "acceptable 
year  of  the  Lord,"  which  occurred  at  intervals  of  fifty  years.  At 
that  time  prisoners  were  released,  debts  remitted,  and  hereditary 
estates,  that  had  been  sold,  returned  to  their  original  owners.  In 
Christ,  however,  all  this  was  accomplished  in  a  higher  manner,  and 
ever  since  His  birth  there  has  been  a  perpetual  jubilee  on  earth,  as 
He  Himself  said :  "This  day  is  fulfilled  this  scripture."  Every  new 
year  is  for  the  Church  a  new  year  of  jubilee.  Let  us  begin  this 
year  by  considering  how  the  scripture  is  fulfilled  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
how  He  established  a  jubilee  on  our  earth.  We  must  not  forget 
that  He  alone  had  power  to  do  this,  for  the  world,  if  left  to  itself, 
is  nothing  but  a  vale  of  tears,  and  never  permanently  an  abode  of 
happiness. 

I.  Sight  to  the  blind. — Many  blind  men  recovered  their  sight 
through  Jesus  Christ,  but  is  not  the  world  that  rejects  Him  still 
more  blind  than  they  were?  Is  not  spiritual  blindness  a  still  greater 
affliction  than  mere  loss  of  eyesight?  It  is  difficult  to  understand 
why  people  do  not  realize  their  blindness,  and  require  to  have  proof 
of  it  given  to  them.  The  proof  is  simple  enough:  If  they  were  not 
spiritually  blind,  they  would  grasp  the  all-important  truths  upon 
which  their  salvation  depends.  Every  one  will  agree  in  calling  a 
man  spiritually  blind  who  has  no  perception  for  his  own  happiness. 


FIRST  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  17 

The  world  that  denies  Christ  fails  to  appreciate  what  it  loses.  If 
you  ask  men  why  they  repudiate  Christianity,  you  will  receive 
obscure  and,  in  many  cases,  contradictory  answers.  One  person 
believes  that  there  is  a  God,  another  does  not ;  one  thinks  that  there 
is  another  life,  another  denies  it;  one  is  of  opinion  that  we  have 
souls,  another  that  we  have  only  bodies ;  one  fancies  that  the  wicked 
will  be  punished  after  death,  another  that  all  alike  will  be  saved, 
because  God  is  merciful.  One  says  that  man  is  higher  than  all  the 
rest  of  creation,  because  he  possesses  free  will;  another  maintains 
that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  freedom,  but  that  all  is  determined 
beforehand  and  bound  by  the  iron  law  of  necessity.  If  this  latter 
theory  were  true,  we  might  as  well  all  shoot  ourselves,  arguing  that 
if  death  ensues,  it  is  only  because  all  was  pre-ordained,  and  beyond 
our  control.  Some  believe  that  we  shall  have  to  render  an  account 
for  our  actions,  whilst  others,  who  deny  our  possession  of  free  will, 
consider  that  we  can  not  be  held  responsible  for  what  we  do.  Does 
not  the  very  existence  of  such  conflicting  opinions  betray  spiritual 
blindness  ? 

Sometimes  we  are  told  that  the  world  is  advancing  in  its  spiritual 
perception,  but  this  is  by  no  means  invariably  true.  Instead  of 
going  forward,  it  often  goes  backward,  and  plunges  again  into 
errors  that  seemed  to  have  been  abolished  centuries  ago.  For  in- 
stance, there  is  a  revival  of  fatalism,  i.  e.,  the  theory  that  man  is 
inexorably  the  bondslave  of  a  hard,  gloomy,  cold  and  cruel  fate. 
This  doctrine  was  a  dark  spot  in  the  lives  of  the  Greeks,  and  now 
it  is  again  extremely  fashionable  to  believe  in  mysterious  forces 
that  absolutely  control  our  existence.  Buddhism  is  perhaps  the 
saddest  and  most  hopeless  of  all  theories  of  life.  According  to  it, 
all  existence  is  sheer  misery,  and  to  exist  is  to  be  wretched ;  he  only 
is  happy  who  has  ceased  to  exist,  whose  life  has  gone  out  like  a 


l8      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

candle.  This  is  Nirvana,  bliss,  the  great  nothingness,  and  our  final 
aim  must  be  to  seek  annihilation  and  absorption  in  this  Nirvana. 
Who  could  suppose  that  a  revival  of  Buddhism  was  possible  in 
modern  Europe?  Yet  there  are  in  our  midst  societies  formed  for 
the  worship  of  Buddha,  the  all-happy,  whose  happiness  consists  in 
non-existence.  These  people  rave  about  the  joys  of  Nirvana,  but 
surely,  before  they  can  do  this  they  must  have  taken  a  fatal  step 
backwards  into  the  errors  of  the  past. 

The  world  is  spiritually  blind,  as  long  as  it  refuses  to  come  to 
Christ  and  be  cured,  but  those  who  believe  in  and  hear  Him,  possess 
the  gift  of  sight.  We  may  well  thank  God  that  our  path  is  not  in 
darkness;  we  know  whence  we  come  and  whither  we  go,  and  our 
goal  shines  brightly  before  us.  Even  the  realm  of  death  is  not 
altogether  obscure,  and  we  walk  not  in  darkness,  but  in  the  light. 
Praised  be  Jesus  Christ,  who  giveth  sight  unto  the  blind ! 

II.  To  heal  the  contrite  of  heart. — There  are  many  suffering 
hearts  in  this  world,  many  disappointments,  many  sorrows,  many 
ruined  lives.  We  often  encounter  them,  and  see  the  mark  of  sin 
on  the  brows  of  our  fellow  creatures,  in  the  depths  of  whose  souls 
is  nothing  but  death  -and  despair. 

The  world  asserts  its  ability  to  remedy  all  these  evils,  but  this 
claim  is  undoubtedly  false,  and  even  among  its  adherents  there  are 
some  who  hold  another  opinion,  and,  regarding  themselves  as  pe- 
culiarly enlightened,  say :  "The  world,  existence  and  life  as  a  whole 
are  nothing  but  misery  from  beginning  to  end.  Ultimately  the  door 
will  open  and  allow  the  soul  to  look  down  into  the  deep  darkness 
which  we  must  enter,  crossing  the  gloomy  river  in  Charon's  boat. 

Is  this  abode  beyond  the  stream  Paradise?  or  is  it  the  place  of 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth?  No  one  seems  to  know,  and  up- 
to-date  people  make  a  point  of  stifling  every  question  asked  by  the 


FIRST  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  19 

anxious  soul.  Despair  meets  us  on  every  side,  in  pictures,  in  disser- 
tations, in  novels  and  on  the  stage ;  it  makes  the  nerves  quiver  with 
dread  of  the  unknown,  and,  far  from  healing  sorrowful  hearts,  it 
poisons  them,  undermining  all  energy  and  paralyzing  all  activity. 

It  is  no  mere  assertion,  incapable  of  proof,  but  a  statement  of 
fact  to  say  that  the  world  can  not  heal  hearts  that  are  bruised. 
There  is,  however,  one  kind  of  sorrow  that  may  lead  to  good,  and 
this  is  real  contrition  for  sin.  "J  have  thrown,  away  my  happiness, 
and  frittered  away  my  life.  Once  in  its  springtime  I  looked  out  on 
days  full  of  promise,  and  bathed  in  sunlight;  but  now  the  autumn 
has  come,  with  clouds,  darkness  and  storms,  and  the  withered  leaves 
are  blown  by  the  wind,  and  there  is  no  fruit  on  the  trees  that  were 
so  rich  in  blossom.  I  have  destroyed  my  own  happiness  and  that 
of  my  wife;  I  have  led  my  own  children  into  evil,  and  now  with 
horror  I  see  them  walking  on  the  same  paths  which  have  brought 
me  to  ruin.  I  am  to  blame  for  it  all — my  fault,  my  fault,  my  most 
grievous  fault." 

Has  the  world  any  remedy  for  this  sorrow?  Can  it  remove  this 
"most  grievous  fault  ?"  No,  it  does  not  even  pretend  to  do  so ;  none 
can  remove  sin  but  Christ,  who  came  into  the  world  to  take  upon 
Himself  our  transgressions.  In  Him  alone  is  healing  to  be  found 
for  the  stricken  heart.  It  is  because  He  possesses  this  power  that 
His  Gospel  has  penetrated  all  over  the  world,  and  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  as  Agnus  Dei,  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the 
sins  of  the  world,  is  the  only  means  of  raising  to  health  those  who 
acknowledge  their  sin. 

Who  has  a  right  to  contradict  us  if  we  say  that  we  find  healing 
for  our  hearts  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ  ?  From  it  we  derive  strength, 
joy,  happiness  and  hope;  and  just  as  it  is  a  fact  that  the  world  can 


20      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

not  cure  our  sorrows,  so  is  it  a  fact  that  Christ  can  and  does  heal 
them.     Praised  be  Jesus  Christ,  who  healeth  the  contrite  of  heart. 

III.  Deliverance  to  the  captives. — It  is  a  great  and  glorious  thing 
to  obtain  forgiveness  of  sins,  but  it  is  not  enough.  There  is  some- 
thing mean  and  unworthy,  we  are  told,  in  forgiveness  unaccom- 
panied by  an  effort  to  escape  from  the  bondage  of  sin,  and  many 
people  suppose  that  we  Catholics  are  quite  satisfied  if  our  sins  are 
forgiven.  It  is  undeniably  mean  and  unworthy  of  a  son,  who,  after 
injuring  his  father,  thinks  only  of  being  pardoned,  and  not  of  aban- 
doning his  career  of  vice.  Even  if  it  were  possible — but  it  is  not — 
for  one  who  is  not  determined  to  forsake  evil,  to  obtain  forgiveness 
of  h\s  sins,  it  is  certain  that  he  would  never  be  at  peace,  as  long 
as  he  was  in  bondage  to  evil.  We  need  deliverance  from  the  power 
of  sin  in  our  mem.bers,  and  as  captives  long  for  freedom. 

Can  the  world  about  us  set  us  free?  Can  it  supply  or  suggest 
any  means  of  overcoming  our  evil  desires  and  passions,  and  of  thus 
becoming  good?  What  a  fatal  mistake  is  made  by  those  who  try 
to  dispense  with  Jesus  Christ!  The  world  can  never  effect  our 
rescue;  it  tries  only  to  stifle  our  anxious  plea  for  release  from  the 
chains  of  sin  by  saying:  "There  is  no  liberty  anywhere;  there  is 
nothing  but  laws,  necessity,  impulses  and  blind  fate."  Or  if  ever 
the  modern  world  speaks  of  something  called  liberty,  we  discover 
with  horror  that  it  is  only  another  name  for  unbridled  license, 
which  drags  men  down  into  the  slavery  of  sin,  and  which  in  ancient 
times  found  expression  in  the  words:  "Steep  thy  soul  in  delights, 
and  then  die." 

Let  me  here  again  declare  that  I  am  speaking  of  facts,  not  making 
mere  arbitrary  assertions.  It  is  a  fact  that  the  world  can  not  give  us 
deliverance  from  the  bondage  of  sin.  Can  Christ  release  us  from 
it?    To  one  who  knows  Him,  such  a  question  is  superfluous.     His 


FIRST  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  21 

friends  know  by  experience  that  He  can  do  so,  and  continues  to  do 
so  throughout  their  lives.  None  can  deny  that  He  effects  this  by 
sanctifying  their  wills  through  His  Word  and  by  His  holy  Sacra- 
ments, which  purify  our  human  nature  and  give  us  strength  to 
overcome  our  passions.  He  acts  through  His  holy  Church,  which 
is  the  home  of  His  Saints,  who  serve  Him  in  freedom  of  spirit. 
Praised  be  Jesus  Christ,  who  giveth  deliverance  to  the  captives ! 

We  know,  therefore,  what  we  have  to  expect  from  the  world 
and  from  Jesus  Christ  respectively  during  the  coming  year.  Our 
knowledge  is  derived  not  from  theories  and  hypotheses  of  our  own 
fabrication,  but  from  a  study  of  facts,  which  can  not  be  questioned 
as  they  are  plain  to  view. 

Which  shall  we  follow — the  world  or  Girist?  May  God  give  t\is 
grace  to  say  resolutely:  "As  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve 
the  Lord." 


22       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SECOND   SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT 

MEN  WHO  WAIT  FOR  THEIR  LORD 

"And  you  yourselves  be  like  to  men  who  wait  for  their  Lord,  when  He 
shall  return  from  the  wedding;  that  when  He  coraeth  and  knocketh,  they 
may  open  to  Him  immediately." — Luke  xii„  z^. 

In  the  Apocalypse  (vi,  lo)  St.  John  the  Evangelist  records  having 
heard  a  loud  and  eager  cry  proceeding  from  souls  who  asked  why 
God  had  not  yet  overthrown  His  enemies  on  earth.  Hence  it  ap- 
pears that  the  departed  know  at  least  something  of  what  goes  on 
in  this  world,  and  follow  the  course  of  events  with  interest.  We 
cannot  tell  how  much  they  know,  nor  how  they  acquire  their  know- 
ledge. St.  John  says  that  they  longed  for  the  final  triumph  of  God's 
kingdom,  "and  it  was  said  to  them  that  they  should  rest  for  a  little 
time,  till  their  fellow  servants  and  their  brethren  .  .  .  should  be 
filled  up."  If  the  souls  of  martyrs  have  to  wait,  and  if  their  exist- 
ence is  a  time  of  yearning  expectation,  surely  it  -is  only  natural 
that  the  earthly  life  of  Christ's  friends  should  also  be  described  as 
a  period  of  waiting.  In  to-day's  gospel  our  Lord  speaks  of  it  as 
such,  and  sums  up  the  lesson  that  He  teaches  in  the  words:  "Be 
you  yourselves  like  to  men  who  wait  for  their  lord." 

This  sense  of  expectation  characterizes  the  life  of  Christians  in 
this  world,  and  is  of  itself  very  important,  whilst  at  the  same  time 
it  distinguishes  them  from  worldlings. 

I.  The  children  of  this  world  do  not  expect  their  Lord,  for,  being 
dominated  by  the  spirit  of  worldliness,  they  look  only  to  the  present, 
and  not  to  the  future;  they  think  only  of  earth,  and  not  of  heaven; 
and  they  care  only  for  the  world,  and  not  for  God.  Like  the  rich 
man  in  the  parable,  the  worldling  desires  to  enjoy  all  good  things 


SECOND  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  23 

in  this  present  life,  and  it  is  the  fashion  to  ridicule  any  who  have 
supernatural  aims,  and  to  regard  those  only  as  sensible  who  set  all 
their  interest  upon  the  certainty  of  the  present.  We  are  told  that 
it  is  foolish  to  think  about  what  is  future  and  therefore  uncertain, 
and  vast  numbers  of  people  nowadays  acquiesce  in  these  views, 
and  they  do  not  hesitate  to  renounce  the  Church  and  Christianity, 
and  to  cast  aside  the  faith  of  their  childhood. 

But  supposing  the  world  and  the  things  around  us  are  deceptive  ? 
What  does  this  life  offer  us  besides  poverty,  sickness,  disgrace, 
hunger  and  cold?  Is  it  a  consolation  to  be  deprived  of  all  hope 
regarding  the  future?  Let  those  who  have  lost  their  faith  have 
recourse  to  their  teachers  who  have  robbed  them  of  all  comfort 
and  hope  and  ask: '"What  consolation  can  you  give  us  in  place  of 
the  hope  that  you  have  taken  away?" 

They  seek  a  comforter,  but  will  find  none,  unless  they  join  the 
ranks  of  those  who  wait  for  their  Lord.  Woe  to  the  reckless  teach- 
ers, who  rob  the  multitude  of  the  hope  that  would  console  them  in 
suffering,  and  teach  them  to  care  only  for  the  present !  Such  men 
have  much  to  answer  for,  especially  in  the  case  of  those  who  aban- 
don themselves  to  despair,  when  the  present  fails  to  satisfy  them, 
for  the  sorrows  of  this  life  must  inevitably  be  unbearable  where 
there  is  no  hope  for  the  future. 

This  \vorldly  spirit  knows  no  other  happiness  than  the  enjoyment 
of  earthly  pleasures;  it  gives  rise  to  much  ill  feeling  and  uneasiness, 
and  embitters  society. 

Can  men,  who  possess  all  that  the  present  can  offer,  dispense  with 
hope  regarding  the  future  life  beyond  the  grave?  They  have  given 
up  all  expectation  of  heaven;  but  can  earth  with  its  pleasures  and 
amusements  satisfy  them?  If  we  question  them,  some  will  boldly 
answer  "Yes,"  whilst  others  will  reply  in  an  evasive  manner;  but 


24       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

if  we  go  to  Holy  Scripture,  we  find  the  blunt  statement  that  there 
is  no  peace  for  the  wicked.  For  the  most 'part  they  are  aware  that 
something  essential  is  lacking.  A  young  girl,  brought  up  in  the 
modern  indifference  to  all  religion,  comes  home  from  a  ball,  where 
she  has  enjoyed  herself  vastly.  In  a  ballroom  are  to  be  found 
most  of  the  things  calculated  to  delight  a  young  devotee  of  fashion, 
and  she  has  not  been  slow  to  avail  herself  of  them.  But  on  her 
return  she  throws  herself  on  her  bed,  and  weeps  bitterly.  Why? 
What  has  happened?  Probably  she  does  not  know  the  reason  for 
her  tears,  but  is  aware  only  of  being  unspeakably  disappointed. 
All  is  over,  like  a  will  o'  the  wisp  that  glowed  for  a  time  and  then 
vanished,  leaving  nothing  behind.  Many  of  the  gayest  people  in  the 
world  experience  similar  states  of  depression;  they  cannot  rid  them- 
selves of  the  feeling  that  they  lack  something  indispensable  to  their 
happiness,  for  they  look  forward  to  nothing. 

II.  Christians,  on  the  contrary,  look  forward  to  what  is  of  the 
utmost  importance :  they  wait  for  their  Lord,  and,  when  He  comes, 
they  will  have  true  happiness  and  realise  the  final  aim  of  their 
existence.  This  anticipation  is  their  chief  source  of  courage  amidst 
the  sufferings  of  this  life;  they  do  not  expect  happiness  now,  nor 
do  they  make  large  demands  upon  the  present,  since  it  is  only  in 
the  future  that  their  hopes  will  be  fulfilled.  They  do  not  think  it 
strange  that  they  suffer  in  this  life,  for  our  Lord  warned  them  that 
they  should  have  distress  in  this  world  (John  xvi,  33),  and  He  did 
not  pledge  Himself  to  give  them  happiness  in  the  worldly  sense. 
They  do  not  despair  when  the  cross  is  laid  upon  them,  for  their 
Saviour  said :  "Whosoever  doth  not  carry  his  cross  and  come  after 
Me,  cannot  be  My  disciple"  (Luke  xiv,  2y).  They  do  not  complain 
of  having  to  wait,  for  their  Lord  has  bidden  them  do  so,  and  they 
are  looking  forward  to  the  greatest  possible  happiness. 


SECOND  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  25 

But  I  must  beware  of  saying  too  much,  as  they  do  sometimes 
complain  bitterly,  for  their  road  is  so  rough  and  steep,  their  time  of 
waiting  is  so  long  and  tedious  that  they  cry:  "How  long,  O  Lord, 
how  long?"  Yes,  with  shame  be  it  confessed  that,  though  we  are 
Christians,  we  complain,  as  if  we  had  no  Lord  and  Saviour  to 
expect.  The  more  we  forget  Him,  the  louder  are  our  complaints, 
and,  if  we  cease  to  expect  Him,  we  certainly  have  no  right  to  the 
consolation  and  joy  that  such  expectation  affords.  If  we  succeed 
in  convincing  ourselves  thoroughly  that  our  life  here  is  only  a  time 
of  waiting,  we  shall  not  look  for  any  particular  happiness  in  this 
world,  nor  shall  we  be  disturbed  if  earthly  joys  fail. 

One  of  our  chief  weaknesses  is  to  demand  earthly  happiness,  and 
it  behooves  us  to  uproot  this  craving  at  all  costs.  We  may  not  be 
able  to  say  with  St.  Teresa  Aut  pati,  Domine,  aut  mori,  "Let  me 
either  suffer,  O  Lord,  or  die!"  nor  to  reply,  like  St.  John  of  the 
Cross,  who,  when  asked  what  reward  he  desired  for  all  his  labors, 
said:  Domine,  pati  et  contemni  pro  ie,  "Lord,  to  suffer  and  be 
despised  for  Thy  sake;"  yet  we  can  at  least  familiarize  ourselves 
with  the  idea  that  suffering  is  necessary  for  us,  and  brings  many 
blessings,  and  then  we  shall  look  forward  to  the  future  with  fresh 
joy.  Like  St.  Paul,  the  saints  have  always  gloried  in  and  because 
of  their  tribulations,  since  their  trials  gave  rise  to  hope,  which  was 
not  confounded  (Rom.  v,  3-5). 

HL  Those  who  wait  for  their  Lord  are  His  servants,  expecting 
Him  to  come,  not  only  as  their  Redeemer,  but  also  as  their  Judge, 
to  whom  they  will  have  to  render  an  account  of  their  services.  This 
thought  makes  them  faithful  to  their  duties,  and  so  human  society 
as  a  whole  is  benefited.  Would  that  those  who  have  renounced 
Christianity  could  realise  how  much  society  owes  to  it  and  to  the 
Church!     Public  morality  depends  upon  men's  recognition  of  the 


26       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

fact  that  this  morality,  and  all  the  duties  that  it  involves,  originate 
in  God ;  He  is  our  supreme  Lord ;  to  Him  all  are  morally  responsible, 
and  to  Him  all  must  look  for  judgment.  The  moral  decay  of  our 
own  age  is  due  to  the  cleavage  between  ethics  and  religion.  Men 
deny  that  all  morality  has  its  origin  in  God ;  they  deny  our  responsi- 
bility to  Him,  and  deny  that  He  will  judge  us.  As  a  result,  His 
servants  grow  reckless  and  neglect  their  duty,  and  the  very  founda- 
tions of  society  are  shaken,  and  we  are  threatened  with  all  the  hor- 
rors of  a  revolution,  arising  from  the  same  cause  as  previous  social 
upheavals,  viz.,  that  men  have  ceased  to  expect  God  to  be  their 
Judge. 

What  has  the  world  in  prospect?  Its  frivolity  will  be  ended 
when  men  are  called  to  judgment.  There  were  thousands  of  eager 
spectators  in  the  theatres  at  Vienna  and  Chicago,  when  the  terrible 
cry  of  "Fire"  was  raised,  and  they  were  hurried  before  God's  trib- 
unal, all  without  expectation  of  their  Lord's  coming. 

Happy  are  those  servants  who  remain  at  their  post  and  do  their 
duty ;  they  will  not  lose  their  reward,  for  their  Lord  will  make  them 
sit  down  in  His  Kingdom,  and  will  minister  to  them  (Luke  xii,  37). 

Let  us  act  as  men  who  wait,  watch  and  serve,  and  then  we  too 
shall  enter  into  the  joy  of  our  Lord  (Matth.  xxv,  21). 


I 


THIRD  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  27 

THIRD  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT 
THE  VOICE  OF  ONE  CRYING  IN  THE  WILDERNESS 

"Every  vallej'  shall  be  filled,  and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  brought 
low,  and  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and  the  rough  ways  plain, 
and  all  flesh  shall  see  the  Salvation  of  God." — Luke  iii,  5,  6. 

St.  John's  words  rang  out  like  a  voice  in  the  wilderness.  He 
knew  that  very  few  accepted  his  message  and  were  really  converted. 
The  great  majority  either  refused  to  listen  to  his  exhortation,  or, 
like  Herod,  they  only  took  a  temporary  pleasure  in  the  great  preach- 
er's utterances,  and  the  impression  produced  upon  them  was  super- 
ficial and  short-lived. 

When  we  hear  the  summons  to  do  penance,  how  are  we  affected 
by  it  ?  Is  it  for  us  too  merely  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilder- 
ness? 

I.  Thousands  of  people  are  altogether  unwilling  to  hear  of 
penance;  it  is  vain  to  call  upon  them  to  repent,  for  they  think 
nothing  about  God,  or  their  souls,  or  their  own  salvation,  and  never 
set  foot  in  the  house  of  God,  but  spend  their  time  in  other  ways. 
This  may  be  the  result  of  carelessness,  and  certainly  many  are  not 
consciously  devoid  of  faith,  only  they  say  that  they  must  attend 
to  other  matters,  and  have  no  time  for  religion.  Some  spend  Sun- 
day in  work  and  in  making  up  their  accounts,  others  devote  the  day 
to  amusement.  You  may  see  them  all  setting  out  just  as  the  church 
bells  are  summoning  everybody  to  the  house  of  God.  Summer  and 
winter  have  each  their  own  occupations,  and  both  young  and  old 
devote  every  Sunday  in  the  year  to  some  form  or  other  of  sport, 
until  at  last  their  ears  are  deaf  to  the  cry:  "Do  penance,  for  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."     Very  frequently  all  this  should 


28       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

be  ascribed  to  frivolity  and  carelessness,  rather  than  to  conscious 
neglect  of  God's  commands. 

Let  no  one  misunderstand  me.  I  have  no  objection  to  sport,  or 
to  wholesome  outdoor  exercise ;  in  fact,  I  feel  inclined  to  encourage 
everybody,  young  and  old  alike,  to  take  part  in  it,  for  it  is  good 
both  for  mind  and  body.  Only  let  everything  be  done  in  modera- 
tion. It  is  quite  possible  to  derive  pleasure  and  advantage  from 
games  without  falling  into  sin,  but  it  is  wrong  to  make  playing 
games  an  excuse  for  absence  from  church  and  neglect  of  one's 
religious  duties.  Overindulgence  in  games  tends  to  alienate  the 
young  altogether  from  the  practise  of  their  religion,  and  to  make 
them  forget  that  they  have  souls  to  save;  and  herein  lies  a  great 
danger  for  the  Church,  the  nation  and  our  country,  for  the  future 
of  each  depends  upon  the  rising  generation.  I  wish  to  impress 
upon  all  parents  and  teachers  the  fact  that  it  is  their  duty  to  remind 
young  people  of  their  obligation  to  attend  church  on  Sunday.  Do 
not  weaken  your  admonitions  by  pleading  that  it  is  unwise  to  coerce 
the  young  against  their  will.  Such  arguments  are  not  only  -mis- 
leading, but  are  actually  sinful,  since  we  ought  to  obey  the  voice 
of  duty,  whether  we  like  it  or  not. 

From  the  unconscious  unbelief  due  to  frivolity  the  transition  to 
conscious  unbelief  is  very  easy.  This  latter  kind  of  unbelief  is 
one  of  the  most  terrible  evils  of  the  age  in  which  we  live,  and  it  is 
the  chief  reason  why  the  call  to  penance  meets  with  so  little  re- 
sponse. A  systematic  effort  to  uproot  Christianity  from  the  hearts 
of  the  people  is  being  made  in  every  class  of  society.  In  our  schools 
very  little  attention  is  paid  to  religious  instruction,  and  our  enemies 
desire  to  banish  it  altogether ;  it  is  regarded  as  a  matter  of  complete 
indifference  whether  a  couple  is  married  at  the  registrar's  office  or 
in  church,  where  they  are  united  in  the  name  of  God  and  receive 


THIRD  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  29 

His  blessing.  Baptism  is  frequently  neglected,  and  parents  con- 
sider themselves  at  liberty  to  decide  whether  a  child  is  to  be  brought 
up  in  .God's  service,  or  in  that  of  the  world. 

We  must  not  shut  our  eyes  to  facts  around  us;  and  it  is  un- 
deniable that  the  number  of  those  who  no  longer  believe  in  heaven 
above  or  in  hell  beneath  is  steadily  growing.  Paganism  is  increasing 
in  our  midst,  and  very  little  good  is  effected  by  the  so-called  "eman- 
cipated" spirits  who  call  upon  the  slaves  of  matter  to  look  upwards 
to  the  stars  and  mountain  tops,  and  to  listen  to  the  "great  silence." 
All  that  they  say  is  meaningless,  and  now,  as  in  the  time  of  St.  John, 
the  masses  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  every  summons  to  do  penance. 

II.  There  were,  however,  some  who  listened  to  St.  John,  but 
paid  only  superficial  attention  to  his  words,  and  so  were  not  really 
converted.  Such  people  exist  at  the  present  day — what  is  wrong 
with  them? 

The  word  conversion  means  turning  the  mind;  and  the  chief 
mistake  made  by  these  careless  hearers  of  the  word  is  that  they 
do  not  take  things  seriously,  and  stop  short  at  what  is  on  the  out- 
side, instead  of  penetrating  into  the  depths  of  their  own  hearts. 
The  first  essential  to  conversion  is  contrition.  We  are  all  ready 
enough  to  call  ourselves  miserable  sinners,  in  a  general  way.  This 
can  be  done  without  any  real  change  of  disposition,  and  without 
abandoning  our  pride,  worldliness  and  self-indulgence.  But  it  is 
not  so  easy  to  discuss  actual  sins  in  detail,  and  to  acknowledge  one 
besetting  sin  with  shame  and  sorrow  costs  us  far  more  and  does 
us  far  more  good  than  to  lament  over  our  sinful  lives  without  dis- 
covering and  confessing  our  real  sins. 

In  speaking  of  contrition,  people  are  apt  to  lay  too  much  stress 
upon  their  feelings,  and  too  little  upon  their  will.  It  may  of  course 
be  beneficial  to  feel  the  sting  and  burden  of  sin,  but  this  is  not 


30       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

enough,  nor  is  it  essential.  Feelings  are  untrustworthy  and  liable 
to  change,  and  real,  practical  conversion  depends  not  upon  them, 
but  upon  the  will.  We  must  resolve  to  get  rid  of  the  actual  sins 
that  we  have  committed,  and  be  ready  to  bear  their  temporal  punish- 
ment, if  God  will  only  remit  their  guilt.  When  we  rely  exclusively 
upon  our  feelings,  we  are  too  apt  to  think  only  of  God's  mercy  and 
to  forget  His  justice.  God  is  just,  as  well  as  merciful,  and  there- 
fore we  must  suffer  for  our  sins,  and  whoever  is  unwilling  to  do  so, 
possesses  only  superficial  sorrow  for  them.  Moreover,  if  we  are 
really  contrite,  we  must  intend  to  make  reparation  as  far  as  we 
can,  for  what  we  have  done  amiss.  The  story  of  Zacheus  supplies 
us  with  an  excellent  example  of  true  conversion.  No  one  is  really 
turned  or  converted  from  his  evil  ways,  who  refuses  to  repair  the 
evil  that  he  has  done  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man.  Conversion 
without  faith  is  impossible,  and  men's  faith  is  often  dead,  incapable 
of  bearing  fruit  and  of  revealing  itself  in  newness  of  life  and  active 
charity.    Without  life  and  charity  faith  is  dead. 

To  sum  up:  The  call  to  conversion  has  often  rung  out  like  the 
voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness.  If  with  honest  purpose  you 
resolve  to  listen  to  that  call,  the  desert,  i.  e.,  the  dreary  wilderness 
of  life,  will  blossom  like  a  garden  of  roses. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  31 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT 
JOHN  THE  BAPTIST 

"John  answered  and  said :  A  man  cannot  receive  anything,  unless  it  be 
given  him  from  heaven.  You  yourselves  do  bear  me  witness  that  I  said : 
I  am  not  Christ,  but  I  am  sent  before  Him." — John  iii,  27,  28. 

In  the  gospel  we  have  the  picture  of  St.  John  presented  to  us 
before  that  of  Christ.  John's  work  was  to  preach  and  prepare  the 
way  for  our  Saviour.  Let  us  to-day  consider  his  personality,  his 
greatness  and  his  weakness.  Very  few  people  are  so  splendidly 
equipped  with  natural  gifts,  and  he  possessed  in  addition  wonder- 
ful gifts  of  grace.  He  surpassed  all  his  contemporaries  in  clear- 
ness of  intellect,  as  was  seen  at  his  first  meeting  with  Christ.  Be- 
fore our  Lord  had  said  a  word  publicly  on  the  subject  of  His  person 
and  mission,  John  recognized  both,  and  gave  expression  to  his 
prophetic  insight  in  the  words:  Ecce  Agnus  Dei,  ecce  qui  tollit 
peccatum  mundi,  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  behold  Him  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world.  He  summed  up  thus  all  that  Christ  was, 
and  all  that  He  was  to  do.  No  one  else  in  that  age  realised  these 
facts  so  fully. 

John  was  endowed  with  the  gift  of  eloquence,  that  carried  his 
hearers  away  even  when  he  preached  on  the  need  of  penance. 
Everyone  went  to  hear  him,  men,  women,  scholars,  soldiers  and 
Pharisees.  Even  Herod  heard  him  gladly,  and  from  time  to  time 
his  actual  enemies  seem  to  have  delighted  in  his  eloquence,  although 
they  did  not  open  their  hearts  to  his  message.  His  fame  spread 
over  the  whole  country,  and  attracted  universal  attention,  so  that 
the  Council,  known  as  the  Sanhedrim,  sent  a  deputation  to  ask  what 


32       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

account  he  gave  of  himself,  for  some  supposed  him  to  be  the  Christ, 
others  Elias. 

We  possess  more  trustworthy  testimony  to  St,  John's  greatness 
than  that  of  Herod,  the  people  or  the  council,  for  we  know  what 
Christ  said  of  him.  He  spoke  of  him  as  a  prophet,  comparing  him 
with  Elias,  one  of  the  mightiest  figures  in  the  Old  Testament,  and 
then  added  "and  more  than  a  prophet,"  declaring  that  no  one  greater 
than  John  had  ever  been  bom  of  woman.  Surely  no  plainer  evi- 
dence of  his  greatness  can  be  required ! 

But  in  extolling  St.  John,  we  may  be  certain  that  our  Lord  was 
thinking  more  of  his  goodness  and  virtue  than  of  his  intellectual 
faculties.  A  man's  intellect  may  indeed  be  worthy  of  our  admira- 
tion, but  his  qualities  of  heart  deserve  more  respect;  and  good 
brains  may  accompany  an  evil  disposition,  in  which  case  a  clever 
man  is  worthless.  IMoral  qualities  rank  far  above  intellectual,  and 
in  the  balance  of  God's  justice  a  heroic  will  far  outweighs  learning. 
This  is  perhaps  hard  to  understand  and  the  world  thinks  more  of  in- 
tellect than  of  goodness  of  heart.  Such  is  the  way  of  the  world, 
but  in  St.  John  both  these  qualities  were  combined.  If  his  will  had 
not  been  great  and  noble,  he  could  have  made  no  good  use  of  his 
brilliant  intellectual  gifts,  and  would  certainly  have  employed  them 
in  worldly  pursuits.  He  might  have  procured  a  pleasant  existence 
by  means  of  his  genius  and  reputation — nothing  would  have  been 
easier.  He  might  have  secured  a  position  where  he  could  live  in 
comfort  and  with  a  large  income  at  his  disposal,  but  instead  of 
acting  thus,  he  went  out  into  the  desert,  and  it  is  there  that  we  hear 
of  him,  not  in  fashionable  society.  He  wore  no  soft  raiment,  but  a 
garment  of  camel's  hair,  girt  with  a  leathern  strap.  His  fare  was 
the  simplest  that  he  could  obtain — locusts  and  wild  honey. 

St.  John  might  have  used  his  talents  so  as  to  win  fame  and  honor. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT  33 

and  rise  to  some  exalted  position.  He  had  only  to  ask  himself : 
"What  do  the  princes  and  people  wish  to  hear?  What  will  please 
them?  How  can  I  gratify  them?"  He  possessed  sufficient  ability 
to  become  universally  popular,  and  so  to  advance  to  the  most  in- 
fluential offices  in  the  state.  He  might  have  become  a  brilliant 
politician,  a  conspicuous  member  of  society.  But  what  would 
worldly  people  say  of  St.  John  as  he  really  was?  Would  they  not 
call  him  a  fool  for  acting  as  he  did?  Instead  of  considering  what 
princes  and  people  wished  him  to  tell  them,  he  asked  himself  what 
they  required  to  be  told.  Instead  of  thinking  what  public  opinion 
and  the  spirit  of  the  age  pronounced  to  be  the  truth,  he  asked 
boldly:  What  is  truth?  He  bore  witness  to  the  truth,  and  pro- 
claimed it  fearlessly,  though  it  was  often  unpleasant  to  hear,  and 
was  in  direct  opposition  to  public  opinion  and  the  spirit  of  the  age, 
and  the  views  of  princes  and  people.  St.  John  was  shrewd  enough 
to  foresee  what  his  reward  would  be,  and  faced  it  with  equanimity. 
Instead  of  gaining  honors  in  this  world,  he  was  cast  into  prison,  and 
instead  of  winning  favor  with  the  king,  he  paid  for  his  audacity 
with  his  life.  His  martyrdom  was  the  culmination  of  his  greatness. 
That  is  a  crown  which  the  proud  feel  no  desire  to  possess,  though 
the  humble  long  to  gain  it,  and  St.  John  was  humble  and  of  little 
importance  in  his  own  sight.  To-day's  gospel  tells  us  more  of  his 
humility  than  of  his  greatness.  His  disciples  tried  to  make  him 
jealous  of  Jesus  by  saying  that  all  men  were  coming  to  our  Lord. 
People  were  beginning  to  forsake  St.  John  and  turn  their  backs 
upon  him;  he  was  losing  his  popularity,  and  his  followers  were 
running  after  some  one  else.  John  answered  quietly  and  em- 
phatically that  he  was  not  the  bridegroom,  but  only  the  bridegroom's 
friend.  The  bride  is  the  Church,  which  was  destined  to  be  founded 
by  Jesus  Christ  and  not  by  John.     It  was  quite  right  that  men 


34       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

should  follow  our  Lord,  since  thus  the  bride  came  to  the  Bride- 
groom. These  were  the  thoughts  in  St.  John's  mind,  and  he  ex- 
pressed them  simply  and  humbly.  His  own  light  must  fade  away, 
but  Christ's  must  rise  and  shine,  and  so  he  said :  "He  must  increase, 
but  I  must  decrease."  All  is  perfectly  in  order.  I  am  not  worthy 
to  loose  the  latchet  of  His  shoe.  His  success,  far  from  annoying 
me,  makes  me  unspeakably  happy,  for  I  am  the  friend  who  rejoices 
in  silence  at  the  Bridegroom's  triumph. 

This  brings  us  back  to  the  consideration  of  St.  John's  greatness, 
for  he  was  great  in  God's  sight  precisely  because  he  was  little  in 
his  own.  His  highest  glory  before  God  is  his  humility;  he  refused 
to  be  great  in  his  own  eyes.  All  true  greatness  is  humble,  although 
the  world  fails  to  comprehend  that  man  makes  himself  small  by 
striving  to  be  great.  It  behoves  us  to  understand  this  fact  thor- 
oughly, if  we  are  to  have  a  happy  Christmas.  We  must  humble 
ourselves  like  St.  John,  if  we  desire  to  share  his  happiness.  We 
must  be  converted  and  become  like  little  children,  if  we  are  to 
rejoice  in  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem ;  otherwise  we  shall  not  enter  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  Like  St.  John  we  must  recognize  our  real 
littleness,  and  then  we  shall  be  able  to  follow  his  example  and  bear 
with  tranquil  and  untroubled  minds  all  the  humiliations  of  life, 
that  are  so  beneficial  to  us.  It  was  in  order  to  teach  us  this  lesson, 
that  God  has  deigned  to  show  us  in  the  Gospel  how  in  St.  John's 
humility  and  littleness  lay  the  source  of  his  real  joy  and  greatness. 


CHRISTMAS  DAY  35 


CHRISTMAS  DAY 

AUGUSTUS  IN  ROME  AND  CHRIST  IN  THE  CITY 
OF  DAVID 

"And  it  came  to  pass  that  in  those  days  there  went  out  a  decree  from 
Caesar  Augustus  that  the  whole  world  should  be  enrolled.  This  enrolling 
was  first  made  by  Cyrinus,  the  governor  of  Syria.  And  all  went  to  be 
enrolled,  every  one  into  his  own  city." — Luke  ii,  1-3. 

I.  At  the  time  of  Julius  Caesar's  murder,  Oetavianus,  his  adopted 
son  and  heir,  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  was  studying  in  Greece. 
He  hastened  back  to  Rome,  where  he  founded  the  Roman  Empire, 
and  took  the  titles  of  Caesar  (emperor)  and  Augustus  (venerable). 
He  was  the  most  powerful  monarch  who  ever  reigned,  and  for  43 
years  he  governed  the  Roman  Empire,  which  extended  over  all  the 
known  world.  He  was  literally  supreme,  for  as  Imperator  he  had 
unlimited  power  over  the  army ;  he  could  make  peace  and  declare 
war,  and  raise  legions  at  a  word.  As  Princeps  he  enjoyed  absolute 
control  over  the  legislative  and  judicial  machinery  of  the  state.  As 
Pontifex  Maximus  he  was  entitled  to  deal  with  all  questions  con- 
cerning religion.  His  dominions  extended  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
on  the  West  to  the  Euphrates  in  the  East,  and  from  the  Rhine  and 
the  Danube  in  the  north  to  Mount  Atlas  and  the  cataracts  of  the 
Nile  in  the  south.  They  were  divided  into  25  provinces,  all  ad- 
mirably organized  and  connected  with  one  another  by  means  of 
roads  and  canals.  At  the  end  of  his  career  the  emperor  was  able 
to  say  of  Rome :  "I  found  it  a  city  of  brick,  and  I  am  leaving  it  a 
city  of  marble."    Science  and  art  flourished  during  his  reign,  which 


2,6       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

is  always  considered  the  golden  age  of  classical  literature.  Wealthy 
men  in  Rome  acquired  fortunes  that  exceeded  those  of  our  mil- 
lionaires, and  they  lived  in  a  refinement  of  luxury  unsurpassed  at 
the  present  day. 

"It  came  to  pass  in  those  days  there  went  out  a  decree  from 
Caesar  Augustus  that  the  whole  world  should  be  enrolled."  The 
emperor  issued  orders  to  "the  whole  world,"  and  it  obeyed.  "All 
went  to  be  enrolled."  No  one  thought  of  resisting  his  will.  He 
demanded  tribute  from  the  whole  world,  and  it  was  paid,  the  tribute 
money  bearing  the  emperor's  head  and  inscription.  If  ever  there 
was  one  absolute  monarch  supreme  over  the  whole  world,  it  was 
Augustus. 

II.  In  a  remote  corner  of  his  vast  dominions,  in  a  small,  un- 
important town  of  Judea,  a  town  so  insignificant  that  the  great 
emperor  had  probably  never  heard  of  it,  the  enrolment  that  he  had 
ordered  gave  rise,  as  elsewhere,  to  some  excitement.  The  inns  were 
full  of  visitors,  and  every  one  was  attending  to  his  own  business, 
for  all  were  anxious  to  have  their  papers  in  order,  and  to  register 
their  names  and  families,  so  as  to  be  able  to  return  home  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  resume  their  ordinary  life.  Few  noticed  a  poor 
workman,  who  entered  the  town  with  his  wife  in  the  evening. 
Wherever  he  asked  for  shelter  he  was  told  that  there  was  no  room, 
until  at  last  he  found  an  empty  stable,  and  there,  during  the  night, 
a  child  was  born.  There  was  nothing  strange  in  all  this,  considering 
the  crowded  state  of  the  town.  The  child  born  that  night  was 
Christ  the  Lord,  born  in  David's  city.  His  birth  was  obscure  and 
His  whole  life  was  trivial  and  unimportant  in  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
whilst  His  death  was  that  of  a  criminal,  on  the  shameful  wood  of 
the  Cross.  And  yet  what  do  wx  see?  What  has  become  of  the 
empire  once  governed  by  Caius  Julius  Caesar  Octavianus  Augustus  ? 


CHRISTMAS  DAY  37 

It  exists  no  longer,  for  it  decayed  and  perished  more  than  1400 
years  ago. 

What  shall  we  say  of  Christ?  His  kingdom  extends  over  nations 
and  races  of  which  Augustus,  with  all  his  power,  never  heard. 
Christ  the  Lord,  born  in  David's  city,  reigns  over  the  whole  world. 
For  45  years  Augustus  wielded  a  sceptre  before  which  all  his  sub- 
jects cowered  in  fear,  but  from  century  to  century  Christ  exercises 
an  infinitely  greater  force,  since  He  is  loved  by  all  who  belong  to 
His  Kingdom.  For  a  short  time  Augustus  officiated  at  an  altar,  the 
fire  on  which  was  soon  extinguished,  but  Christ  is  a  high  priest  for 
iever  according  to  the  order  of  Melchisedech.  Augustus  erected  a 
marble  city,  but  Christ  raised  a  temple  of  living  stones.  When 
Augustus  lay  on  his  deathbed  in  Campania,  he  is  said  to  have  asked 
those  about  him  whether  he  had  played  his  part  well;  and,  when 
they  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  said :  "Then  let  me  hear  your 
applause,  for  the  drama  is  over."  When  Christ  died  on  the  Cross 
on  Golgotha,  He  said :  Consummaium  est,  it  Is  finished.  The  one 
delighted  some  few  nations  by  acting  a  brilliant  part  that  ended  at 
his  death.  The  other  accomplished  a  work  which  will  remain  for 
ever,  and  be  the  means  of  salvation  to  every  race  on  earth. 

The  Roman  empire  was  the  greatest  expression  of  strength  ever 
attained  by  the  natural  forces  of  man;  it  was  the  supreme  efifort 
made  by  human  beings  to  realise  their  own  powers ;  hence  its  down- 
fall cannot  be  compared  with  that  of  any  single  nation  or  dynasty. 
It  was  the  breaking  up  of  all  natural  civilization,  and  a  proof  that 
mankind,  left  unaided,  cannot  be  self-sufficient.  The  kingdom  of 
Christ,  the  Lord  born  in  the  city  of  David,  alone  is  able  to  stand 
firm.  Earthly  kingdoms,  with  all  their  power  and  splendor,  rise 
and  fall,  but  the  reign  of  the  Crucified,  the  Son  of  Man,  lasts  on 
from  age  to  age.     Let  us  therefore  feel  no  fear  when  the  world 


38       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

rallies  its  forces  and  the  kingdom  of  Christ  appears  small  and  in- 
significant. The  world  is  always  the  same,  and  is  unable  now  as 
ever  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  the  human  heart.  But  Christ,  too, 
is  always  the  same,  no  less  powerful  and  no  less  merciful  now  than 
He  was  in  the  past.  He  will  lead  His  followers  to  victory,  and 
raise  His  Church  from  obscurity  to  glory. 


SUNDAY  AFTER  CHRISTMAS  39 

SUNDAY  AFTER  CHRISTMAS 

A  SIGN  OF  CONTRADICTION— A  TOKEN  OF  VICTORY 

"And  his  father  and  mother  were  wondering  at  those  things  which  were 
spoken  concerning  him.  And  Simeon  blessed  them,  and  said  to  Mary  his 
mother:  Behold  this  child  is  set  for  the  fall  and  for  the  resurrection  of 
many  in  Israel,  and  for  a  sign  which  shall  be  contradicted." — Luke  ii,  33,  34. 

Some  people  tell  us  that  truth  prevails  only  when  it  succumbs. 
Nothing  in  the  world  encounters  so  much  opposition  as  truth.  False- 
hood is  more  to  the  world's  taste,  and  meets  therefore  with  less 
antagonism,  whilst  it  more  readily  finds  admirers  and  adherents ; 
but  truth  has  always  aroused  hostility,  and  no  one  ever  aroused 
such  bitter  enmity  as  did  He  who  is  Truth  itself — our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  In  to-day's  gospel  we  have  a  true  account  of  the  antagonism 
that  He  was  to  encounter. 

There  is  in  my  possession  a  very  beautiful  picture,  copied  from 
a  work  of  one  of  the  greatest  modern  painters.  It  represents  our 
Saviour  surrounded  by  women,  and  His  holy  Mother  kneeling  at 
the  foot  of  her  Son's  Cross.  From  His  sacred  Body  a  ray  of  light 
falls  upon  her  face,  revealing  her  expression  of  profound  love  and 
sorrow.  She  was  His  Mother,  and  therefore  loved  Him  more  in- 
tensely than  any  other  human  being  could  do ;  and  for  this  very 
reason  she  also  suffered  more  intensely,  and  was  indeed  the  Mater 
dolorosa.  Grief  pierced  her  heart  like  a  sword  when  Christ  hung 
dying  in  token  of  the  violent  hostility  provoked  against  Him,  who 
was  the  Truth.  Well  might  aged  Simeon  have  called  Him  "a.  sign 
that  shall  be  contradicted !" 

Have  those  who  contradicted  Him  secured  a  final  triumph  ?  The 
Jews  crucified  Him,  but  have  they  retained  the  victory?  Are  they 
not  scattered  over  the  whole  world  as  an  unhappy  nation,  that  can 
call  no  country  its  own?     Have  the  pagans  gained  the  day,  who 


40       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

shared  in  the  most  horrible  crime  ever  committed,  the  murder  of 
the  Son  of  God?  No,  we  all  know  that  paganism  did  not  conquer. 
It  arrayed  all  its  forces  against  our  Lord  and  His  few  followers, 
and  against  the  gospel  which  it  treated  with  scorn  and  contempt; 
but  ever  since  that  time  paganism  has  been  decaying,  and  it  is 
destined  to  vanish  altogether  before  the  victorious  advance  of 
Christianity. 

It  is  true  that  Christ  is  still  a  sign  which  is  contradicted,  even 
among  Christian  nations,  and  in  the  world  there  are  many  who 
profess  to  be  Christians  whilst  they  actually  deny  God  and  Christ. 
The  wicked  prosper,  but  it  benefits  them  little  that  their  blossom 
appears  good  if  their  fruit  is  evil,  for  the  latter  is  far  more  im- 
portant than  the  former.  If  agnosticism  and  the  denial  of  Chris- 
tianity are  ultimately  to  triumph,  their  fruit  must  be  good,  and  their 
opposition  to  Christ  must  have  power  to  render  men  happy  in  life 
and  in  death — otherwise  it  would  not  really  prevail.  At  the  same 
time,  and  for  the  same  reason,  it  must  be  able  to  make  men  better ; 
but  can  anyone  honestly  and  conscientiously  assert  that  agnosticism 
makes  its  adherents  better  men  and  women  than  Christians  are? 
No!  Of  course  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  every  agnostic  is  a  wicked 
or  vicious  person;  he  may  not  only  have  a  good  side,  but  possess 
great  qualities,  and  be  a  most  respectable  member  of  society.  We 
are  not  called  upon  to  judge  individuals,  for  that  is  not  our  affair 
but  God's,  who  alone  can  penetrate  the  heart  and  read  the  in-ssr 
thoughts  and  intentions  of  man.  The  question  with  which  we  are 
concerned  is :  "Can  agnosticism  make  men  better  ?  Are  agnostics  as 
a  rule  better  than  other  people?"  Certainly  agnosticism  as  such 
is  incapable  of  rendering  us  better.  There  are  several  kinds  of 
agnostics,  but  we  may  say  of  them  all  that  they  either  deny  the 
existence  of  God,  or  say  that,  if  there  is  a  God,  He  cannot  be  in 


SUNDAY  AFTER  CHRISTMAS  41 

communication  with  us,  nor  speak  with  us,  nor  give  us  any  definite 
commandments  and  precepts.  Most  agnostics  hold  that  they  are 
bound  to  lead  moral  lives,  but  must  impose  upon  themselves  the 
commandments  of  morality,  since  no  Divine  authority  capable  of 
imposing  them  can  be  proved  to  exist.  Therefore,  in  their  opinion, 
we  have  in  ourselves  all  moral  authority,  and  there  is  no  absolute 
supreme  Judge,  to  whom  we  shall  have  to  give  an  account;  every 
one  is  responsible  only  to  his  own  conscience.  Hence  many  modern 
agnostics  deny  all  responsibility  for  evil,  and  regard  it  as  a  disease 
which  we  cannot  avoid.  Can  such  a  doctrine  have  any  moral 
weight?  Is  it  likely  to  make  men  better?  It  denies  the  existence 
of  our  supreme  Lawgiver  and  Judge,  and  destroys  all  sense  of  re- 
sponsibility either  to  God  or  to  ourselves.  We  need  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  agnosticism  can  never  improve  us. 

But,  we  may  be  told  that  the  experience  of  life  sometimes  proves 
men  to  have  become  better  in  consequence  of  adopting  agnosticism. 
We  are  not  concerned  with  individuals,  but  may  ask  in  general 
terms:  Are  Christians  inferior  to  the  crowds  who  never  enter  a 
church,  and  who  devote  Sunday  either  to  work  or  to  worldly  amuse- 
ments? They  live  for  earthly  riches,  earthly  joys  and  earthly 
honors;  they  fancy  that  they  can  think,  speak  and  act  as  they  will, 
without  Incurring  any  responsibility  to  almighty  God,  and  without 
any  prospect  of  a  judgment  to  decide  their  lot  in  the  future  life. 
We  need  not  condemn  individuals,  but  every  Christian  is  aware  that, 
in  order  to  be  truly  good,  a  man  must  know  that  there  is  a  God, 
to  whom  he  must  one  day  give  account  for  his  actions,  and  who  will 
eventually  be  his  Judge. 

If  agnosticism,  the  denial  of  Christianity,  is  to  prevail  in  the  end, 
it  must  have  power  to  make  men  happy,  happier  than  they  were 
when  they  believed  in  Christ.     Is  this  possible?     If  happiness  con- 


42       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

sisted  in  money,  honors,  luxury,  art  and  science,  we  might  be  told 
that  agnosticism  could  rival  Christianity  in  teaching  men  how  to 
acquire  it.  But  all  these  things  are  powerless  to  give  happiness  un- 
less they  are  accompanied  by  peace  of  heart.  What  does  it  profit 
a  man  to  possess  the  whole  world,  and  suffer  the  loss  of  his  soul? 
True  happiness  consists  in  peace  of  heart,  and  agnosticism  cannot 
give  us  this  in  life,  still  less  in  death.  It  cannot  enable  us  to  face 
death  with  the  peaceful  anticipation  and  joyful  hope  displayed  by 
the  two  aged  people  in  to-day's  gospel.  No  peace  is  possible  for 
one  who  does  not  know  where  to  find  forgiveness  for  his  sins.  Here 
we  have  the  great  defect  of  agnosticism;  it  points  out  no  way  of 
peace,  because  it  recognizes  no  way  to  forgiveness ;  it  knows  nothing 
of  the  Saviour  of  sinners  or  of  the  God  of  mercy. 

How,  then,  can  contradiction  and  opposition  triumph  over  Jesus 
Christ  if  it  cannot  make  us  better,  nor  give  us  real  happiness  in 
life  and  in  death?  It's  victory  is  purely  imaginary,  or  rather  it  is 
the  outcome  of  a  great  and  fatal  falsehood. 

II.  The  token  of  victory. — "Thou  hast  triumphed,  O  Galilean!" 
These  are  said  to  have  been  the  last  words  uttered  by  Julian  the 
Apostate,  after  the  failure  of  his  attempt  to  revive  paganism.  They 
express  the  involuntary  testimony  borne  by  the  ancient  world  to  the 
fact  that  the  sign  of  contradiction  has  become  the  token  of  victory 
even  in  this  world. 

In  proof  of  this  assertion  we  may  refer  to  the  triumph  of  the 
Cross  in  every  age;  first  imder  the  Roman  Empire,  when,  in  spite 
of  furious  persecutions,  the  Church  arose  victorious  after  apparent 
defeat.  We  may  refer  to  the  benefits  that  have  invariably  followed 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel;  Christianity  delivered  slaves  from 
bondage,  and  women  from  their  position  of  inferiority;  it  dispelled 
the  darkness  of  sin  and  ignorance,  and  spread  abroad  light,  civiliza- 


SUNDAY  AFTER  CHRISTMAS  43 

tion  and  knowledge.  It  inspired  artists  to  produce  their  finest 
works ;  it  gave  freedom  to  the  human  intellect,  and  afforded  a  solid 
moral  foundation  for  legislation  and  civil  order.  In  fact,  it  would 
be  true  to  say  that  all  that  is  good,  strong,  and  noble  in  our  present 
civilized  existence,  is  due  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity.  This  is 
weighty  evidence  in  support  of  our  assertion  that  the  sign  of  con- 
tradiction has  become  the  token  of  victory.  Yet  let  me  rather  refer 
to  something  quite  different,  viz.,  to  the  two  aged  persons  of  whom 
we  read  in  to-day's  gospel.  How  good  they  were !  Simeon  was 
just  and  God-fearing,  whilst  Anna  served  God  day  and  night.  They 
were  good  because  they  were  so  pious,  and  therefore  they  were 
happy.  Anna  "confessed  to  the  Lord,  and  spoke  of  Him  to  all  that 
looked  for  the  redemption  of  Israel" — no  doubt  she  spoke  out  of 
the  fulness  of  her  heart,  and  was  very  happy.  And  Simeon  said: 
"My  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation."  Hence  he  enjoyed  happiness 
during  his  earthly  life,  and  spoke  of  his  approaching  death  in  terms 
very  unlike  those  used  by  worldlings :  "Now  Thou  dost  dismiss  Thy 
servant,  O  Lord,  according  to  thy  word  In  peace."  The  prospect 
of  death  was  to  him  a  source  of  happiness.  But  why  were  they  so 
glad?  Because  they  believed  in  Him  for  whom  they  had  longed 
as  the  Redemption  and  glory  of  Israel — though  the  world  would 
speak  against  Him. 

Surely  this  is  evidence  enough  to  prove  that  the  sign  of  contra- 
diction became  the  token  of  victory;  for  Simeon  and  Anna  repre- 
sent a  vast  host  of  men,  women  and  children  who  have  triumphed 
through  their  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  overcoming  sin,  death  and 
satan.  Their  faith  has  made  them  good  and  happy  in  this  life,  and 
has  enabled  them  to  depart  hence  in  peace.  Therefore  cease  to 
contradict  your  Saviour,  and  have  faith  in  Him,  if  you  would  be 
happy  in  life  and  in  death. 


44        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SUNDAY   AFTER    NEW    YEAR'S 

CHRIST    IS    HE    WHO    SHOULD    COME 

"Now  when  John  had  heard  in  prison  the  works  of  Christ,  sending  two  of 
his  disciples,  he  said  to  Him:  Art  thou  He  that  art  to  come,  or  look  we  for 
another  ?"— Matt,  xi,  2,  3. 

It  was  St.  John  the  Baptist  who  called  our  Lord  "the  Lamb  of 
God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,"  and  who  said  of  him- 
self :  "I  am  not  worthy  to  loose  the  latchet  of  his  shoe."  "He  must 
increase,  but  I  must  decrease."  He  described  his  own  relation  to 
Christ  in  words  burning  with  love :  "The  friend  of  the  bridegroom, 
who  standeth  and  heareth  him,  rejoiceth  with  joy  because  of  the 
bridegroom's  voice.     This  my  joy  therefore  is  fulfilled." 

Such  words  express  most  lively  faith  in  Christ;  and  what  was 
our  Lord's  testimony  regarding  His  faithful  and  humble  forerunner  ? 
He  said :  "Amen  I  say  to  you,  there  hath  not  risen  among  them  that 
are  born  of  women  a  greater  than  John  the  Baptist"  (Matt,  xi,  11). 

Can  we  believe  that,  in  spite  of  all  this,  St.  John  ever  really  felt 
doubts  about  Christ?  Those  who  think  it  inconceivable  assume 
that  he  sent  his  disciples  to  our  Lord  for  their  sake,  that  they  might 
see  and  hear  Him,  not  for  his  own  sake,  since  his  faith  required  no 
strengthening.  Ought  we  to  assume  that  St.  John  had  really  lost 
his  faith  in  Christ,  and  sent  messengers  to  Him  for  his  own  peace 
of  mind?  If  this  had  been  so,  he  surely  would  not  have  applied  to 
our  Lord  for  information,  but  would  have  asked  some  one  else's 
opinion.  Jesus  evidently  took  pains  to  prevent  St.  John  from  being 
suspected  of  a  change  of  view,  for  He  said  that  he  was  not  a  reed 
shaken  by  the  wind  (v.  7). 

1.  Miracles. — We  often  hear  that  faith  in  Christ  and  Christianity 


SUNDAY   AFTER   NEW    YEAR'S  4S. 

is  opposed  to  all  reason,  and  so  men  cannot  be  required  to  believe. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  faith  has  nothing  to  do  with  reason,  or 
rather  is  opposed  to  it,  what  can  make  us  believe?  We  cannot  be- 
lieve unless  we  have  some  motive ;  we  cannot  fling  ourselves  blindly 
into  some  unknown  abyss.  Moreover,  why  should  Christ  have  tried 
to  support  and  strengthen  St.  John's  faith  by  adducing  arguments 
that  would  appeal  to  his  reason  ?  For  this  is  what  He  did,  when  He 
referred  to  His  miracles. 

To  the  deaf  He  said :  "Ephpheta,"  and  their  hearing  was  restored. 
To  the  lepers :  "I  will,  be  thou  made  clean,"  and  their  disease  dis- 
appeared. To  the  dead :  "Arise,"  and  they  stood  up  and  came  forth 
from  the  grave.  But  there  is  a  still  greater  miracle,  which  He 
wrought  when  by  His  own  power  He  raised  Himself  from  the 
dead  and  resumed  His  life.  Mary  Magdalene,  the  Apostles  and 
more  than  five  hundred  witnesses  bore  testimony  to  the  fact  of  His 
resurrection.  Now,  who  but  God  has  control  over  life  and  death? 
Christ's  resurrection  differed  from  the  raising  of  Lazarus  and  of 
Jairus's  daughter;  they  were  raised,  and  received  afresh  the  gift 
of  life,  but  our  Lord  overcame  the  might  of  death  and  rose,  as  He 
Himself  said:  "I  have  power  to  lay  down  my  life,  and  I  have  power 
to  take  it  up  again"  (John  x,  i8).  Hence  He  must  be  the  Son 
of  God,  for  God  alone  has  power  over  life  and  death. 

In  His  name  miracles  have  been  wrought  in  every  age  by  His 
Saints,  and  there  is  an  abundance  of  most  trustworthy  evidence  in 
support  of  them.  They  continue  even  at  the  present  day,  but  the 
greatest  and  most  undeniable  of  all  miracles  is  the  existence  of 
Christ's  Church.  She  is  a  society  like  no  other;  she  combats  the 
evil  desires  and  passions  of  mankind,  and  resists  their  pride  and 
selfishness,  and  yet.  she  has  spread  over  the  entire  world  and  has 
everywhere  triumphed. 


46        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

Are  we  not  justified  in  believing  Christ's  words  when  we  know 
that  miracles  are  wrought  by  Him  and  by  His  friends  in  His  name  ? 
Is  it  unreasonable  to  assume  that  His  Church  is  the  kingdom  of 
God,  when  in  this  kingdom,  as  in  no  other  society  on  earth  all  the 
forces  of  the  world  to  come  are  seen  to  reside?  I  think  that  those 
who  consider  our  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  His  Church  to  be  foolish 
and  unreasonable,  have  never  really  examined  either  one  or  the 
other. 

n.  Prophecies. — Our  Lord  referred  to  the  prophecies  regarding 
His  person,  as  well  as  to  His  own  miracles ;  and  showed  that  in 
Himself  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  were  fulfilled,  since 
it  had  been  foretold  that  the  Messias  should  work  miracles.  •His- 
torians speak  of  ancient,  mediaeval  and  modem  history,  but  to  those 
wko  have  a  clear  insight  into  events,  there  are  only  two  periods,  viz., 
the  time  before,  and  the  time  since  our  Lord's  life  on  earth.  All 
that  went  before  was  in  anticipation  of  His  coming;  all  that  has 
followed  refers  to  Him,  and  is  inexplicable  without  Him.  All 
cur  science,  art  and  civilization  dates  from  the  renewal  of  the 
world  that  He  effected.  But  the  prophecies  looked  forward  to 
Him,  and  His  life-history,  both  in  outline  and  in  detail,  is  recorded 
In  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  from  the  first  allusion  to  Him 
as  the  Seed  of  the  woman,  to  the  account  of  His  forerunner.  All 
this  was  written  hundreds  of  years  before  His  birth — if  He  Is  not 
the  Son  of  God,  who  is  He?  If  it  is  unreasonable  to  believe  in  Him, 
in  whom  may  we  reasonably  put  our  faith  ? 

HI.  The  Gospel. — Christ  wishes  not  merely  to  silence  doubters, 
but  to  win  their  hearts,  and  He  does  this  by  causing  His  gospel  to 
be  preached  to  the  poor.  Who  are  the  poor?  Surely  all  who  are 
In  want  of  anything.  And  what  is  meant  by  preaching  the  gospel? 
It  means  bringing  glad  tidings  to  the  sorrowful  and  sinful,  but  it 


I 


SUNDAY   AFTER   NEW    YEAR'S  47 

means  more  than  this;  for,  through  the  gospel  of  Christ,  the  sick 
are  healed,  the  hungry  are  fed  and  the  poor  are  enriched. 

A  countless  host,  that  no  man  can  number,  composed  of  people 
of  every  age  and  nation,  proclaims  to  us  the  impossibility  of  doubt- 
ing that  Christ  was  He  who  should  come ;  He  came  to  every  one 
of  them,  and  His  coming  rendered  them  happy,  whereas  before  they 
were  miserable  sinners.  Whither  should  we  turn  when  we  are  be- 
set with  doubts  and  difficulties?  We  should  follow  St.  John's  ex- 
ample, and  have  recourse  to  our  Lord  Himself.  Where  shall  we 
find  Him?  In  His  Church,  and  nowhere  else;  elsewhere  we  shall 
seek  Him  in  vain ;  but  He  promised  to  remain  with  His  Church 
until  the  consummation  of  the  world,  so  we  may  be  sure  of  finding 
Him  there.  You  will  find  Him  in  the  Gospel,  that  is  always  being 
preached  to  the  poor ;  you  will  find  Him  in  the  forgiveness  of  sins, 
that  is  always  being  bestowed  upon  the  penitent ;  you  will  find  Him 
in  the  living  Bread  that  came  down  from  Heaven  to  give  life  to  the 
world.  Come  not  in  the  spirit  of  pride,  which  thinks  that  it  has  a 
right  to  judge  and  criticize  Christ's  Church ;  those  that  come  in  such 
a  spirit,  come  in  vain.  But  if  you  approach  as  humble  children  of 
the  Church,  full  of  confidence  in  her  teaching,  light  will  again 
shine  in  your  souls  and  peace  will  reign  in  your  hearts. 


48         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE   EPIPHANY 

"FEAR   NOT" 

"Fear  not,  little  flock,  for  it  hath  pleased  3'our  Father  to  give  you  a  king- 
dom."— Luke  xii,  2'^. 

"Fear  not" — these  are  beautiful  words,  particularly  reassuring 
at  the  beginning  of  a  new  year.  When  we  think  of  the  many  rea- 
sons that  we  have  for  fear  and  of  the  sorrows  and  trials  of  our 
past  life,  perhaps,  too,  of  the  horrors  that  we  have  witnessed,  it 
is  only  natural  that  we  should  dread  the  future.  We  cannot  see 
what  lies  before  us ;  it  is  all  veiled  from  our  gaze,  and  we  ask  our- 
selves whether  fresh  struggles  and  conflicts,  fresh  troubles  and 
alarms  are  not  awaiting  us.  It  is  well,  in  moments  such  as  these, 
to  listen  to  the  words :  "Fear  not,"  uttered  by  Him  who  was  all 
wisdom,  truth  and  love.  Yet  are  they  addressed  indiscriminately 
to  everyone  ?  Is  no  one  to  fear  ?  Yes,  there  is  a  fear,  which  is  the 
one  safe  way  to  true  joy;  and  it  is  impossible  to  bid  those  fear  not 
who  have  never  felt  this  fear,  for  thus  they  would  be  excluded 
from  the  path  of  true  happiness. 

Fear  is  a  word  very  easily  misunderstood.  Some  think  it  cred- 
itable to  be  called  fearless,  and  from  one  point  of  view  they  are 
right;  but  not  in  every  case,  for  it  is  by  no  means  good  and 
praiseworthy  to  live,  as  many  do,  without  any  anxiety  as  to  the 
salvation  of  their  souls. 

Probably  no  one  lives  without  occasionally  feeling  alarm  at  death 
and  at  the  coming  judgment.  There  are  moments  when  fear  lays 
its  icy  hand  on  even  the  most  indifferent,  but,  as  a  rule,  men  live 
on   from  day  to   day,   contented  with   what   they  see,  touch   and 


FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER   THE  EPIPHANY  49 

taste,  until  all  at  once  the  dread  summons  comes  at  the  hour  when 
they  least  expect  it,  and  they  are  hurried  away  to  give  an  account 
of  their  stewardship  and  to  hear  their  sentence. 

Those  who  live  thus  have  good  cause  to  fear.  They  see  their 
friends  and  acquaintances  pass  away,  into  the  unknown  world, 
that  unexplored  region  to  which  they  never  gave  a  thought.  They 
are  gone,  and  to  the  survivors  we  say :  "Look  down  with  fear  into 
the  abyss  at  your  feet." 

Can  we  look  at  the  life  led  by  most  people  in  the  world,  and  not 
acknowledge  that  there  is  ground  for  alarm?  It  is  a  life  full  of 
deception;  not  perhaps  of  downright  lies,  but  it  abounds  in  un- 
truthfulness, hypocrisy,  and  spiteful  calumnies,  that  appear  to  be 
true,  whilst  really  they  inflict  grievous  wounds  on  many  a  heart, 
and  bring  misery  upon  many  a  household.  It  is  a  true  saying,  that 
lies  come  home  to  roost,  and  one  day  you  will  remember  with  fear 
and  trembling  every  false  statement  that  you  have  made.  Therefore, 
learn  betimes  to  fear,  that  you  may  be  converted  from  falsehood  to 
truth. 

Worldly  life  is  full  of  dishonesty;  not  necessarily  of  actions 
likely  to  bring  men  into  prison  as  criminals,  but  there  is  great  lack 
of  a  genuine  sense  of  honor  even  among  refined  and  respectable 
people,  and  there  is  also  a  kind  of  pharisaical  dishonesty,  that 
cherishes  hatred  in  the  heart  under  a  smiling  exterior,  and  perpe- 
trates all  manner  of  injustice  under  a  semblance  of  good  will.  As 
certainly  as  that  there  is  a  God  of  justice  in  Heaven,  the  hour  will 
come  when  you  will  realize  your  wickedness.  Therefore,  whilst 
there  is  yet  time,  learn  to  fear,  and  be  converted  from  your  mali- 
cious ways,  that  you  may  be  honest  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man. 

Worldly  life  is  full  of  pride  and  vanity,  I  am  not  speaking  of 
that  foolish  vanity  which  is  so  obvious  that  everyone  recognizes  its 


50        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

emptiness,  but  of  the  pride  and  vanity  that  conceal  themselves  under 
a  mask  of  humility  and  piety  to  such  an  extent  that  it  is  often 
difficult  to  distinguish  a  vain  fool  from  a  humble  Christian.  Some 
day  the  plausible  mask  will  be  torn  off,  and  the  fool  will  stand 
revealed  in  all  his  folly,  a  laughing-stock  to  some,  a  warning  to 
others  and  a  terror  to  himself.  Would  that  all  proud  and  vain 
persons  would  learn  to  fear,  and  be  converted  to  humility,  before 
It  is  too  late,  for  God  showeth  mercy  only  to  the  humble. 

"Fear  not" — our  Lord  speaks  thus  to  the  little  flock  of  those 
who  have  already  trodden  the  path  of  fear,  and  know  what  it  is  to 
feel  anxiety  regarding  their  salvation;  they  are  His  friends  and 
faithful  followers  here  on  earth,  and  it  is  to  them  that  at  the  be- 
ginning of  each  new  year  He  says,  "Fear  not." 

Have  such  as  these  no  ground  at  all  for  fear?  Not  the  fear  and 
trembling  with  which  everyone  of  us  has  to  work  out  his  own  sal- 
vation, and  from  which  we  can  never  be  free  as  long  as  that  sal- 
vation is  still  a  matter  of  hope,  :".  e.,  during  our  whole  existence  In 
this  world.  Is  there  no  other  cause  for  fear?  for  instance,  fear  of 
what  men  may  do  to  them?  Many  of  the  little  flock  have  suffered 
grievously  in  the  past,  and  have  been  Injured  and  deceived  by 
others ;  must  they  not  look  forward  with  fear  to  the  future  ?  Some- 
times, like  Ezechiel,  they  have  fancied  themselves  to  be  among 
friends,  and  afterwards  have  discovered  that  they  were  in  the 
midst  of  scorpions.  They  have  often  had  difficulty  In  refraining 
from  bitter  words  of  reproach  and  complaint,  and  still  greater  dif- 
ficulty In  controlling  thoughts  of  Indignation  and  contempt.  A 
famous  author  states  the  result  of  his  study  of  mankind  thus :  "The 
passion  of  my  soul  is  contempt."  Knowledge  of  human  nature  is 
only  too  apt  to  lead  to  despising  it,  and  here  is  a  reason  for  fear. 
Does  not  the  new  year   suggest  possible   dangers  of  this  kind? 


FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER   THE  EPIPHANY  51 

"Fear  not,"  says  our  Lord,  "who  will  accuse  God's  elect?  It  is 
God  who  justifieth."  Bear  in  silence  whatever  humiliations  men 
may  heap  upon  you,  and  they  will  turn  into  ornaments  for  your 
soul. 

Or  are  you  not  compelled  to  feel  fear  about  your  means  of  live- 
lihood? Many  are  threatened  with  poverty  and  hunger,  or  have 
a  very  scanty  income ;  yet  our  Lord  says :  "Sell  what  thou  hast 
and  give  to  the  poor."  Are  they  to  keep  nothing?  Does  He  re- 
quire them  to  give  away  the  little  that  they  possess?  Is  He,  the 
all-merciful,  mocking  His  creatures  ?  No,  He  is  not  mocking  them, 
nor  does  He  lay  upon  them  any  command  or  obligation.  Some 
children  of  the  Church  in  every  age  have  followed  His  counsel,  and 
such  find  help  in  this  world  and  salvation  in  Heaven,  for  they  be- 
come Saints.  Under  all  circumstances,  however,  our  Lord  says  to 
everyone,  as  He  said  once  to  St.  Paul,  "Fear  not." 

If  we  trust  Him,  as  did  the  Apostle,  we  shall  be  helped,  and  the 
needy  on  earth  will  be  the  wealthy  in  Heaven,  for  all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  those  who  love  God.  Many  things  may  cause 
our  timid  hearts  to  shrink  with  fear,  but  our  heavenly  Father,  who 
guarded  His  divine  Son  in  every  danger,  has  assured  us  that  He 
will  protect  all  His  children  in  every  trial  and  peril;  therefore 
"Fear  not,  little  flock,  for  it  hath  pleased  your  Father  to  give  you  a 
kingdom." 


53        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    THE    EPIPHANY 

CHRISTIAN  AND  PAGAN  VIEWS  OF  MARRIAGE 

"And  the  third  day  there  was  a  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  the 
mother  of  Jesus  was  there.  And  Jesus  also  was  invited,  and  His  disciples, 
to  the  marriage." — John  ii,  i,  2. 

Matrimony,  more  perhaps  than  any  other  ordinary  state  of  life, 
offers  abundant  opportunities  to  faith  of  developing  and  of  bringing 
forth  fruit,  and  it  is  most  important  that  this  should  be  accom- 
plished, for  where  marriage  is  respected,  society  prospers ;  and 
where  marriage  is  dishonored,  all  social  prosperity  is  undermined, 
for  marriage  is  the  foundation  of  social  life.  In  the  Gospel  we 
read  that  our  Lord  was  present  at  a  wedding,  and  He  Intended  thus 
to  sanctify  the  marriage  bond.  Nevertheless  there  are  unsanctified 
marriages  even  among  Christians,  and  we  sometimes  meet  with 
pagan  ideas  on  the  subject. 

It  behooves  us  clearly  to  distinguish  between  these  pagan  views 
and  those  which  Christians  ought  to  hold,  and  therefore  we  will 
proceed  to  compare  them. 

Paganism  regards  woman  as  a  slave,  and  this  is  the  result  of 
failure  to  appreciate  every  human  being  as  a  distinct,  living  per- 
sonality. When  personality  is  overlooked,  a  slave  ceases  to  be  an 
intelligent  being,  and  becomes  merely  a  thing,  or  at  best  a  domestic 
animal.  Where  woman  is  regarded  as  the  slave  of  her  husband, 
polygamy  results,  for  he  may  have  several  slaves  and  consequently 
several  wives.  The  number  of  his  wives  and  slaves  is  as  unim- 
portant as  the  number  of  his  domestic  animals  and  of  the  utensils 
employed  in  his  business.     A  further  result  of  this  theory  is  that 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY  53 

marriage  ceases  to  be  permanent.  A  worn-out  utensil  is  thrown 
away,  a  worthless  slave  is  got  rid  of  in  one  way  or  another,  and 
so  is  an  animal  which  is  no  longer  required.  If  the  wife  is  nothing 
but  a  chattel  belonging  to  the  husband,  he  can  keep  her  or  dispose 
of  her  as  he  chooses. 

Some  one  may  feel  inclined  to  exclaim  that  all  this  has  nothing 
to  do  with  us;  no  wife  is  now  her  husband's  slave.  Of  course  she 
is  not  legally,  but  Is  she  not  sometimes  practically  a  slave?  Do  no 
men  allow  their  wives  to  toil  in  order  to  support  the  family?  Do 
none  amongst  us  heap  upon  women  cares  and  burdens  such  as  the 
men  alone  are  qualified  to  bear  ?  Men  are  very  apt  to  relieve  them- 
selves of  their  troubles ;  and  women  are  by  nature  inclined  to  take 
anxieties  upon  themselves. 

At  the  wedding  feast  in  Cana  a  difficulty  presented  itself — the 
wine  ran  short,  and  our  Lady  became  aware  of  the  fact.  She,  being 
a  woman,  sympathized  at  once  with  the  embarassment  felt  by  the 
host,  and  was  impelled  to  do  her  best  to  remove  it.  She  revealed 
a  truly  feminine  trait,  one  that  God's  hand  seems  to  have  im- 
pressed upon  woman  at  her  creation,  but  the  more  a  man  may 
admire  it,  the  more  careful  should  he  be  not  to  abuse  his  wife's 
emotional  and  sympathetic  disposition  by  casting  upon  her  burdens 
that  she  is  unfit  to  bear. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  dissolubility  of  marriage  among 
pagans.  Unhappily  there  is  great  need  nowadays  to  protest  against 
the  revival  of  this  pagan  theory.  It  ought  not  to  be  necessary  for 
me  to  remind  you  of  all  the  misery  to  society  and  to  individuals 
that  results  from  facilities  for  divorce.  It  Is  quite  certain  that, 
where  the  state  is  ready  to  declare  marriages  annulled,  they  are 
contracted  recklessly.  People  are  careless  enough  where  the  out- 
ward bond  is  inviolable,  but  when  it  is  weakened,  separation  be- 


S4        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

comes  a  matter  of  everyday  occurrence.  Need  I  dwell  upon  the 
unhappy  position  of  those  who  have  separated?  Need  I  point  out 
what  terrible  consequences  would  ensue  if  still  more  children  were 
to  grow  up  without  the  discipline  and  ties  of  family  life  ?  History 
records  plainly  enough  the  disastrous  results  of  weakening  the 
marriage  bond,  but,  as  the  saying  goes,  history  teaches  us  that  men 
refuse  to  learn  from  history. 

In  the  Catholic  Church  we  are  taught:  "What  God  hath  joined 
together,  let  no  man  put  asunder."  But  the  world  says :  "What  men 
have  united,  they  may  separate  again."  The  Church  regards  marri- 
age as  a  Sacrament  instituted  by  God ;  the  world  looks  upon  it  as  a 
purely  civil  contract.  The  former  is  the  Christian,  the  latter  the 
pagan  view  of  matrimony.  The  Church  can  never  sanction  the 
dissolution  of  a  lawful  marriage,  so  as  to  leave  either  party  free 
to  marry  again.  Separation  is  possible,  when  for  some  special  rea- 
sons husband  and  wife  cannot  live  together;  but  separation  is  not 
divorce,  and  neither  party  can  marry  again  during  the  lifetime  of 
the  other. 

Amongst  Christians  a  wife  is  not  a  slave,  and  one  of  the  greatest 
benefits  conferred  by  the  Church  upon  mankind  is  that  she  has 
raised  woman  from  her  former  position  of  degradation.  Chris- 
tianity teaches  that  the  whole  female  sex  was  degraded  by  the  sin 
of  Eve,  but  it  teaches  also  that  the  wTiole  sex  was  raised  and  en- 
nobled in  the  person  of  Mary,  the  Mother  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour ; 
she  was  full  of  grace,  blessed  among  women,  and  all  generations 
shall  call  her  blessed. 

Man  knows  that  his  wife  Is  "flesh  of  his  flesh,"  and  "bone  of  his 
bone,"  and  St.  Peter  bids  him  give  her  honor.  He  is  the  head  and 
master  of  the  family,  but,  if  he  be  a  Christian,  he  will  not  ruth- 
lessly assert  his  supremacy.     It  is  his  business  to  provide  for  the 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTIIR    THE   EPIPHANY  SS 

support  of  wife  and  children,  but  he  will  not  despise  his  wife's 
advice  and  disregard  her  wishes.  He  knows  that  husband  and  wife 
alike  have  mutual  rights  and  duties;  she,  no  less  than  himself,  is 
an  intelligent  being,  and,  in  the  eyes  of  a  Christian  husband,  her 
personality  is  sacred  because  God  desires  her  salvation  equally  with 
his  own.  Both  are  sinners,  in  need  of  God's  grace;  for  both  did 
Jesus  Christ  come  into  the  world,  that  with  His  precious  Blood  He 
might  deliver  them  from  sin,  death  and  the  dominion  of  satan.  God 
wishes  the  wife  to  be  the  husband's  co-heiress  to  eternal  life,  and 
the  Christian  husband  cannot  work  out  his  own  salvation  without 
contributing  also  to  his  wife's.  Thus  the  crown^  of  which  paganism 
robbed  woman,  is  restored  to  her -by 'Christianity ;  and  there  is  no 
happier  place  on  earth  than  a  home  where  man  and  wife  labor 
together  with  the  one  aim  of  securing  life  everlasting. 

Some  men,  however,  though  they  profess  to  be  Christians,  do  not 
appreciate  domestic  happiness,  and  seek  their  pleasure  away  from 
their  own  homes.  Their  amusements  may  be  Innocent,  but  it  is 
always  a  misfortune  when  a  man  does  not  prefer  his  home  to  any 
other  place,  though  this  does  not  mean  that  he  ought  never  to  go 
out  into  society.  Both  husband  and  wife  are  sometimes  obliged  to 
do  so. 

Every  married  couple  should  mutually  respect  each  other,  A 
wife  is  not  hef  husband's  slave,  but  St.  Paul  writes :  "Let  the  women 
learn  in  silence,  with  all  subjection.  But  I  suffer  not  a  woman  to 
teach,  nor  to  use  authority  over  the  man,  but  to  be  in  silence.  For 
Adam  was  first  formed;  then  lEve.  And  Adam  was  not  seduced, 
but  the  woman,  being  seduced,  was  in  the  transgression"  ( i  Tim.  ii, 
11-14).  "Let  women  be  subject  to  their  husbands,  as  to  the  Lord, 
because  the  husband  is  the  head  of  the  wife"  (Ephes.  v,  22,  23). 
"As  the  Church  is  subject  to  Christ,  so  also  let  the  wives  be  to 


56        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

their  husbands  in  all  things"  {ibid,  v,  24).  And  St.  Peter  says: 
"In  like  manner  also  let  wives  be  subject  to  their  husbands,  that  if 
any  believe  not  the  word,  they  may  be  won  without  the  word,  by 
the  conversation  of  the  wives,  considering  your  chaste  conversation 
with  fear.  Whose  adorning  let  it  not  be  the  outward  plaiting  of  the 
hair,  or  the  wearing  of  gold,  or  the  putting  on  of  apparel,  but  the 
hidden  man  of  the  heart  in  the  incorruptibility  of  a  quiet  and  meek 
spirit,  which  is  rich  in  the  sight  of  God.  For  after  this  manner 
heretofore  the  holy  women  also,  who  trusted  in  God,  adorned  them- 
selves, being  in  subjection  to  their  own  husbands,  as  Sara  obeyed 
Abraham,  calling  him  lord"  (i  Peter  iii,  1-6). 

In  our  Lady  we  have  the  most  perfect  instance  of  a  woman 
adorned  with  a  quiet  and  meek  spirit.  At  the  marriage-feast  she 
showed  her  interest  in  a  matter  which  her  Divine  Son  had  reserved 
for  Himself;  so  He  said:  "Woman,  what  is  it  to  Me  and  to  thee? 
My  hour  is  not  yet  come."  Without  any  further  question  or  ex- 
planation she  turned  to  the  servants,  saying :  "Whatsoever  He  shall 
say  to  you,  do  ye."  Could  she  have  set  us  a  better  example  of 
womanly  humility,  gentleness  and  submission? 

We  may  believe  that  she  treated  her  husband,  in  their  quiet  home, 
just  as  she  treated  her  Divine  Son  at  the  feast,  and  that  her  meek 
and  gentle  spirit  was  precious  in  God's  sight.  Holy  Scripture  tells 
us  that  every  wife  should  be  adorned  with  this  spirit,  whereas  wo- 
men who  love  to  command  do  not  imitate  the  models  held  up  to  us 
in  the  Bible.  As  St.  Peter  says,  a  good  woman's  adornment  consists 
not  in  anything  external,  but  in  her  quiet  spirit.  Her  true  sphere 
of  action  is  her  home ;  and  every  woman  able  to  work  for  the  wel- 
fare of  her  household  is  bound  to  do  so;  this  is  her  chief  business 
in  life,  especially  if  she  be  married.  In  her  spare  time  she  may  care 
for  the  sick  and  poor,  and  still  be  occupied  in  work  befitting  her 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY    .  57 

and  precious  in  the  sight  of  God,  provided  that  it  does  not  cause  her 
to  neglect  her  own  home,  and  that  she  displays  charity  and  humility 
in  all  that  she  does.  Work  for  others  is  peculiarly  suited  to  women 
who  have  not  a  household  of  their  own  demanding  their  attention. 
A  Christian  home  is  a  sanctuary  which  the  wife  should  do  her  best 
to  adorn ;  and  her  efforts  may  render  it  the  happiest  place  on  earth. 
Its  true  value  is  seen  most  plainly  in  times  of  misfortune.  As  long 
as  all  is  well  with  a  man,  he  may  scarcely  appreciate  his  wife  and 
home,  but  let  some  disaster  overwhelm  him  and  the  world  leave 
him  in  the  lurch,  his  wife  does  not  forsake  him,  but  loves  him  and 
stands  up  for  him,  so  that  he  finds  peace  at  home,  in  spite  of  the 
storms  outside.  Many  a  man  has  learned  in  times  of  sorrow  to 
thank  God  for  blessings  hitherto  not  valued  at  their  true  worth, 
perceiving  that  the  world  can  offer  him  nothing  comparable  with 
the  joy  of  possessing  a  home  where  a  Christian  wife  reigns  supreme. 
Christianity  has  raised  woman  from  a  degraded  position,  but  it 
has  not  imposed  upon  her  the  duty  of  attracting  attention  by  her 
activity.  Quite  apart  from  Christianity,  the  world  has  attempted 
to  improve  the  status  of  woman,  but  in  so  doing  it  has  overlooked 
humility,  and  has  taken  her  away  from  the  work  assigned  to  her  by 
God,  and  given  her  aims  and  occupations  identical  with  those  of 
man.  It  is  characteristic  of  the  spirit  of  the  age  that  thus  no 
attention  is  paid  to  the  plain  indications  of  God's  design.  We  hear 
much  of  the  emancipation  of  women,  and  perhaps  those  who  demand 
it  have  some  justification  for  their  claims.  Woman  is  certainly 
entitled  to  receive  adequate  education,  and  to  be  permitted  to  enter 
careers  for  which  her  physical  and  intellectual  powers  may  fit  her. 
But  one  who  "emancipates"  herself  from  all  laws  and  comes  for- 
ward as  man's  rival  in  every  department  of  public  life  is  unworthy 
of  the  sacred  position  and  duties  of  womanhood. 


58         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

For  married  life  to  be  what  God  intended,  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary that  the  marriage  should  be  truly  Christian,  and  this  brings  us 
to  the  central  point  of  to-day's  Gospel,  and  we  see  what  is  its  chief 
lesson.  When  we  read  that  Jesus  Christ  was  a  guest  at  a  wedding 
feast,  we  realize  that  He  would  fain  be  present  whenever  a  marriage 
takes  place,  and  take  up  His  abode  in  every  home,  so  as  to  sanctify 
the  union  and  the  household  with  His  presence.  "Believe  in  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved,  and  thy  house"  (Acts  xvi,  31). 
Reserve  for  Christ  a  dwelling  place  in  thy  heart ;  let  His  spirit  rule 
in  thy  home,  and  thou  wilt  indeed  be  happy.  Every  Christian 
knows  by  experience  that  happiness  is  to  be  found  nowhere  but 
with  Christ,  and  when  He  reigns  supreme  in  a  household,  the  spirit 
of  charity  influences  all  its  members.  Follow,  therefore,  the  ex- 
ample of  the  people  in  Cana,  and  invite  Jesus  Christ  to  your  house. 

Where  faith  is  living,  there  is  a  good  and  happy  family  life,  im- 
possible under  other  conditions.  If  a  worldly  spirit  predominates  in 
your  home,  you  must  be  worldly  yourself,  and  in  need  of  true  con- 
version. Do  not  suppose  that  it  is  more  important  to  practise 
Christian  charity  and  forbearance  anywhere  else  rather  than  at 
home,  in  your  daily  intercourse  with  your  family  and  at  your  daily 
occupations.  Invite  Jesus  to  take  up  His  abode  with  you.  It  was 
at  Cana  that  He  worked  His  first  miracle,  and  His  disciples  be- 
lieved in  Him.  He  will  work  miracles  in  your  house,  too,  and  ac- 
complish marvellous  things,  so  that  you  will  believe  in  Him  still 
more  firmly,  the  more  He  manifests  His  glory  in  the  sanctuary  of 
your  own  home. 


THIRD   SUNDAY  AFTER    THE   EPIPHANY  59 

THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY 
CONVERSION 

"And  when  Jesus  was  come  to  the  place,  looking  up  He  saw  him,  and  said 
to  him :  Zacheus,  make  haste  and  come  down,  for  this  day  I  must  abide  in 
thy  house/' — Luke  xix,  5. 

"This  day  I  must  abide  in  thy  house."  That  must  indeed  have 
been  a  happy  day  for  Zacheus  and  his  household.  The  guests  at 
Cana  were  happy  because  Jesus  was  with  them,  and  now  Zacheus 
had  the  same  reason  for  happiness;  on  that  day  salvation  came  to 
his  house. 

Experience  teaches  us  that  hearts  and  houses  are  happy  if  they 
welcome  Jesus  Christ,  His  spirit,  influence  and  guidance,  and  it 
teaches  also  that  in  our  own  age,  so  full  of  sin  and  misery,  sorrow 
makes  itself  most  felt  where  there  is  no  room  for  Christ.  We 
sometimes  see  maps  on  which  Christian  countries  are  painted  in 
bright  colors  and  pagan  lands  in  dark.  If  it  were  possible  to  pre- 
pare such  a  map  to  show  where  happiness  and  where  unhappiness 
is  to  be  found,  the  bright  color  indicating  happiness  would  certainly 
distinguish  the  hearts  and  houses  in  which  Christ  reigns  supreme, 
and  the  dark  shade  indicating  misery  would  mark  the  hearts  and 
houses  where  He  is  unknown.  We  boast  of  our  intellectual  progress, 
but  our  age  abounds  in  wretchedness  and  poverty  for  which  no 
remedy  can  be  found  save  in  Jesus  Christ.  Let  us  consider  who  are 
the  fortunate  persons  to  whom  He  says :  *T  must  abide  in  your 
house." 

I.  Zacheus  was  one  of  them,  so  we  may  perhaps  learn  from  him 


6o        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  A.\D  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

what  will  induce  our  Lord  to  abide  with  us.  Some  people  perceive 
nothing  in  Zacheus'  desire  to  see  Jesus  but  mere  curiosity,  and 
nothing  in  his  words  but  self-complacency.  Is  tliis  conceivable? 
Let  us  consider  who  the  man  was.  We  are  told  that  he  was  the 
chief  of  the  publicans  and  rich.  Let  us  picture  a  man  of  the 
present  day  in  a  similar  position ;  perhaps  some  respectable  magis- 
trate, whom  everyone  knows.  Imagine  such  a  man  in  the  midst  of 
a  dense  crowd,  climbing  up  a  tree  or  a  fence,  in  order  to  see  better, 
and  sitting  there  like  a  street  urchin.  Would  he  not  be  the  laughing 
stock  of  the  rabble,  and  risk  losing  all  his  reputation  ?  We  cannot 
for  a  moment  suppose  that  one  of  our  magistrates  would  do  anything 
of  the  sort ;  but  should  he  really  put  himself  in  such  an  unpleasant 
situation,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  some  better  reason  for  so 
doing  than  mere  curiosity. 

This  argument  may  well  be  applied  to  Zacheus,  who  risked  for- 
feiting all  his  reputation  in  order  to  see  Jesus.  He  must  have 
cared  very  much  about  it,  and  have  felt  it  to  be  a  matter  of  life  and 
death  that  he  should  come  into  contact  with  Christ.  We  have  here 
a  valuable  example  of  earnestness  about  salvation,  for  Zacheus 
flinched  from  no  sacrifice,  not  even  from  the  loss  of  human  respect. 
How  many  of  us  would  be  ready  to  do  as  much  to  secure  our  salva- 
tion? Many  show  repugnance  before  they  are  even  asked  to  make 
a  sacrifice,  and  avoid  taking  up  any  decided  position  because  they 
are  afraid  of  offending  the  world,  or  their  old  friends,  and  fancy 
that  people  will  laugh  at  them  and  think  them  foolish. 

Jesus  Christ  abode  gladly  with  Zacheus,  because  He  saw  that  the 
man  was  in  earnest,  and  that,  being  really  anxious  to  follow  Christ, 
he  shrank  from  no  sacrifice  and  was  willing  even  to  be  despised. 
Go  and  do  likewise  I  Be  in  earnest  about  your  resolution  to  follow 
Christ  and  to  lead  a  Christian  life.     Do  not  shrink  in  a  cowardly 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER    THE   EPIPHANY  6l 

way  from  tlie  sacrifices  that  it  niay  possibly  entail,  and  then  you 
may  be  sure  that  Jesus  will  gladly  take  up  His  abode  with  you. 

II.  Zacheus  said  to  our  Lord:  "If  I  have  wronged  any  man  of 
anything,  I  restore  him  fourfold." 

We  must  not  regard  this  as  a  self-satisfied  statement  regarding 
his  habitual  mode  of  action.  It  would  only  show  that  fraud  was 
not  profitable  to  him!  No,  it  indicates  that  at  that  moment,  in  our 
Saviour's  presence,  Zacheus  realized  his  guilt  and  saw  that  in  many 
instances  he  had  been  dishonest,  for,  like  other  publicans,  he  had 
enriched  himself  fraudulently.  Now,  perceiving  the  wickedness  of 
his  ways,  he  resolved  to  make  fourfold  restitution. 

This  was  trustworthy  evidence  of  his  conversion.  A  man  m^ay 
regret  his  sins,  and  of  course  his  sorrow  may  proceed  from  a  con- 
trite and  humble  heart.  He  may  shed  tears  over  what  he  has  done, 
and  they  may  be  the  outcome  of  a  penitent  disposition.  He  may 
talk  of  his  wickedness  and  unworthiness,  and  call  himself  a  mis- 
erable sinner,  and  In  all  this  he  is  following  St.  Paul's  example.  We 
must  not,  however,  forget  that  other  people  may  act  in  the  same 
way  without  being  so  genuinely  humble  as  the  Apostle,  and  this 
perhaps  is  the  reason  why  their  talk  of  their  sinfulness  and  un- 
worthiness makes  comparatively  little  impression  upon  us.  Their 
tears  and  lamentations  and  self-reproaches  may  merely  indicate 
some  superficial  kind  of  repentance,  not  true  conversion  of  heart, 
and  it  is  possible  that  they  have  never  really  thought  about  their 
actual  transgressions.  I  should  think  far  more  of  a  man  who,  with- 
out perhaps  giving  much  outward  sign  of  regret,  had  courage  to 
act  like  Zacheus,  i.  e.,  to  acknowledge  his  sins,  not  only  before  God, 
but  with  heroic  self-humiliation  also  before  men,  and  to  go  to  those 
whom  he  had  wronged  or  offended,  asking  their  pardon  and  offering 
whatever  reparation  he  could  make.     This  man's   actions  would 


62        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

prove  his  genuine  conversion  or  change  of  disposition.  If  you 
would  imitate  Zacheus,  confess  your  sins  to  God,  by  revealing  them 
to  His  servant,  one  of  those  to  whom  He  said :  "He  that  heareth 
you,  heareth  me,  and  whose  sins  you  shall  forgive,  they  are  for- 
given them."  If  you  do  this,  the  Lord  will  take  up  His  abode  with 
you,  and  fill  your  heart  with  gladness. 

God  requires  of  every  one  of  us  that  we  should  acknowledge  and 
confess  our  sins,  resolving  to  avoid  them  in  future,  and  that  we 
should  humble  ourselves  before  those  whom  we  have  wronged  or 
offended,  trying,  as  far  as  it  is  In  our  power,  to  make  reparation. 
No  amount  of  tears  and  lamentations  can  ever  take  the  place  of 
these  duties.  God  does  not,  however,  require  us  to  follow  Zacheus' 
example  and  promise  to  give  half  our  goods  to  the  poor.  Sometimes 
He  counsels  such  a  proceeding,  and  He  even  advised  the  rich  young 
man  to  give  all  that  he  possessed  to  the  poor.  But  our  Lord  does 
not  demand  such  a  renunciation ;  only  some  highly  favored  souls 
are  capable  of  making  such  a  sacrifice,  and  He  promises  to  reward 
them  a  hundredfold.  If  we  cannot  do  as  much  as  this,  we  can  at 
least  be  as  honest  and  humble  as  Zacheus,  after  his  conversion,  and 
then  our  Lord  will  take  a  delight  in  abiding  with  us,  as  He  did  with 
him. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   THE  EPIPHANY  63 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY 

TEMPEST  AND   CALM 

"And  immediately  Jesus,  stretching  forth  His  hand,  took  hold  of  him,  and 
said  to  him  :  'O  thou  of  little  faith,  why  didst  thou  doubt?'  And  when  they 
were  come  up  into  the  boat,  the  wind  ceased." — Matt,  xiv,  31,  32. 

Some  of  us  are  apt  to  put  a  very  bald  construction  upon  the 
events  in  our  Lord's  life,  as  recorded  in  the  Gospels.  We  look  upon 
them  as  accounts  of  occurrences  in  a  far  distant  past,  forgetting 
that  Holy  Scripture  is  intended  for  men  in  every  age,  that  Christ's 
life  and  work  affect  the  whole  human  race,  and  that  His  life  and 
work  are  the  expression  of  one  principle,  viz.,  of  His  love,  which 
desires  the  salvation  of  all  sinners.  Hence  we  are  perfectly  justified 
in  deducing  from  our  Lord's  behavior  and  actions  on  one  occasion, 
His  manner  of  acting  in  other  cases  and  at  other  times.  For  in- 
stance, from  to-day's  Gospel,  containing  the  account  of  His  dealings 
with  His  disciples  during  the  tempest,  we  may  learn  what  His  fol- 
lowers have  a  right  to  expect  from  Him  now  in  any  trials  that  may 
befall  them. 

I.  The  tempest. — The  disciples  set  sail  from  the  eastern  shore 
of  the  Lake  of  Genesareth  in  the  evening;  the  wind  was  against 
them,  and  they  had  to  take  to  their  oars.  As  darkness  fell  the  wind 
increased  to  a  gale,  and  though  they  exerted  all  their  strength,  they 
seemed  to  make  no  progress.  Midnight  passed,  and  by  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning  they  were  still  only  half  way  across  the  lake. 
The  rowers  were  spent,  and  the  furious  v/ind  had  lashed  the  water 


64        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

into  waves  that  threatened  to  swamp  the  boat.  In  their  alarm  they 
no  doubt  cried :  "Lord,  save  us,  we  perish,"  but  Jesus  was  not  with 
them,  and  they  believed  Him  to  be  far  away.  No  one  can  have  been 
at  sea  on  such  a  night  without  experiencing  some  fear,  but  the 
storms  of  life  are  more  terrible,  and  the  waves  of  misfortune  often 
threaten  to  overwhelm  the  frail  barque  on  which  we  have  set  sail, 
anticipating  a  calm  voyage.  In  such  peril  faith  can  work  miracles. 
St.  Peter  walked  on  the  water  towards  his  Master,  in  spite  of  the 
raging  billows.  He  trusted  Him  when  He  said,  "Come,"  and  his 
faith  upheld  him;  but  as  the  tempest  increased,  he  was  afraid  and 
doubted,  and  at  once  began  to  sink.  Then  he  cried  out :  "Lord,  save 
me,"  and  Jesus  came  to  his  rescue. 

How  differently  do  people  behave  in  times  of  trouble,  sorrow  and 
distress  of  mind !  Some  fancy  that  they  are  sure  to  sink  and  perish, 
on  account  of  their  sins,  and  yet  they  are  mistaken.  Help  is  at 
hand,  and  even  where  sin  abounds,  grace  doth  yet  more  abound 
(Rom.  V,  20). 

Others,  really  on  the  point  of  drowning,  are  unaware  of  the  fact, 
and  think  in  their  folly  that  there  is  no  danger,  because  they  shut 
their  eyes  to  it.  Finally  there  are  some  who  are  in  great  peril,  and 
realize  it  with  horror.  They  seem  to  feel  everything  giving  way; 
they  perceive  the  emptiness  of  earthly  delights  and  are  afraid. 
They  have  good  cause  for  fear  if  they  have  set  their  hopes  on  the 
transitory  joys  of  this  life,  and  shrink  in  terror  from  the  dark  abyss 
into  which  they  see  their  friends  vanishing  one  after  another.  Yet 
people  of  this  kind  fall  into  two  classes.  Some  give  way  to  despair ; 
a  little  opium  or  morphia  enables  them  to  pass  silently  into  the  great 
unknown,  which  is  all  or  nothing,  according  to  the  view  that  they 
take  of  it.  Such  men  have  revived  the  old  Stoic  doctrine  and  say 
that  they  quit  life  when  it  becomes  unbearable,  just  as  they  would 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   THE  EPIPHANY  65 

quit  a  room  full  of  -stifling  smoke.  As  long  as  they  live  they  go 
about  with  hearts  devoid  of  hope,  longing  only  for  annihilation, 
and  complaining  that  they  have  ever  been  born  at  all. 

Others,  on  the  contrary,  cry  like  St.  Peter,  when  he  began  to 
sink :  "Lord,  save  me,"  and  they,  too,  are  saved. 

II.  The  calm. — God  helps  those  who  have  recourse  to  Him  in 
their  necessity.  The  disciples  on  the  lake  were  under  more  efficient 
protection  than  they  supposed,  for  Jesus  was  praying  for  them.  He 
passed  the  evening  and  part  of  the  night  in  prayer  on  a  mountain 
overlooking  the  lake ;  no  doubt  He  prayed  for  them  more  than  for 
Himself.  His  prayer  was  their  safeguard,  as  it  is  ours  in  time  of 
trouble.  He  prayed  for  His  own,  and  many  of  them  are  in  heaven, 
joining  in  His  supplication  for  us.  We  have  innumerable  helpers, 
but  we  cannot  see  them,  and  must  be  content  to  believe  in  them. 
Visible  help  is  often  not  given  us  at  once,  sometimes  not  for  a  long 
time ;  our  Lord  allowed  the  disciples  to  toil  all  night,  rowing  in  the 
darkness  against  the  hurricane,  and  He  did  not  come  until  the 
fourth  watch,  i.  e.,  between  three  and  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

People  often  say  that  God  sends  us  sorrows  to  try  us,  and  this  is 
true,  but  it  is  not  the  whole  truth.  Trouble  is  not  intended  merely 
to  show  what  we  are  good  for,  but  to  make  us  strong  and  vigorous. 
St,  Peter  might  never  have  been  able  to  walk  on  the  water,  had  not 
his  confidence  in  our  Lord  been  strengthened  by  misfortune.  Let 
us  be  prepared  for  the  possibility  of  disaster  and  grievous  affliction, 
but  let  us  never  doubt  that  help  will  come  at  last. 

Our  Lord  undoubtedly  helps  those  who  cry  to  Him;  He  rescued 
the  disciples,  for  the  tempest  abated,  and,  with  Jesus  on  board, 
they  reached  the  opposite  shore  of  the  lake  at  dawrt 

One  of  the  purest  joys  known  to  us  is  that  which  we  experience 
on  returning  home  after  a  long  and  perilous  voyage,   and  are  wel- 


66         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

corned  by  those  dear  to  us.  What  will  be  our  bliss  when  the  dawn 
of  eternity  finds  us  entering  a  safe  harbor,  where  we  shall  be  wel- 
comed by  friends  whom  we  have  loved  on  earth,  and  where  we  shall 
hear  the  vault  of  heaven  resounding  with  the  songs  of  the  saints, 
who  exult  and  give  thanks  as  often  as  a  sinner  finds  his  way  home. 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY  67 

FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY , 
THE  LAW  OF  THE   NEW  ..DISPENSATION 

"You  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old :  'Thou  shalt  not  commit 
adulter}'.'  But  I  say  to  you  that  whosoever  shall  look«on  a  woman  to  lust 
after  her,  hath  already  committed  adultery  with  her  in  his  heart." — Matt,  iv, 
27,  28. 

I.  No  one  can  read  the  Gospel  without  noticing  how  it  abounds 
in  exhortations  to  do  God's  will,  keep  His  commandments  and  ob- 
serve His  law.  Only  one  who  is  blind,  or  who  wilfully  shuts  his 
eyes,  can  deny  this  fact,  and  yet  we  are  often  told  that  the  Gospel 
abolished  the  law,  and  that  if  a  man  has  faith  in  the  Gospel  he 
need  not  trouble  about  the  law.  Those  who  make  these  assertions 
suppose  that  sin  cannot  harm  us,  and  has  no  importance  in  God's 
sight,  if  only  we  believe  in  His  mercy,  which  justifies  us  without 
the  works  of  the  law.  It  is,  however,  blasphemous  to  maintain  that 
sin  is  not  harmful,  and  is  of  no  importance  in  God's  sight,  and,  in 
order  to  avoid  such  a  statement,  others  say  that  under  the  new 
dispensation  the  law  is  unnecessary,  because  our  faith  makes  us  so 
ready  to  do  God's  will,  that  we  require  no  admonition  or  law  con- 
straining us  to  do  it.  Everything  is  supposed  to  be  quite  simple 
and  straightforward  to  a  believer,  and  God  has  only  to  look  on  and 
see  with  what  zeal  and  joy  men  comply  with  His  will.  There  is 
no  longer  any  need  of  law,  admonition  or  reminders  of  God's  holy 
will,  and  of  course  there  need  be  no  suggestion  of  punishment. 

But  does  this  really  agree  with  the. experience  of  believers?  Can 
any  individual  honestly  and  seriously  persuade  himself  that  such 
is  the  case?     Can  any  one,  who  has  trodden  the  narrow  path  of 


68  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

obedience  to  law,  accept  this  theory?  It  seems  impossible;  and, 
if  we  are  frank,  we  shall  have  to  confess  that  we  are  after  all 
weak  and  miserable  creatures,  in  spite  of  knowing  God's  will,  and 
that  we  require  commands,  encouragement  and  stimulus,  and  even 
occasionally  threats,  when  we  are  tempted  to  go  astray.  It  would 
be  foolish  to  assume  the  contrary,  and  it  would  be  equally  foolish 
to  imagine  God  to  be  changeable,  as  He  would  undoubtedly  be,  if 
under  the  old  dispensation  He  insisted  upon  obedience,  and  under 
the  new  cared  nothing  whether  men  obeyed  Him  or  not. 

It  is.  however,  quite  certain  that  the  New  Testament,  and  par- 
ticularly the  gospels,  contain  many  rules,  precepts  and  strict  com- 
mands. "I  am  not  come  to  destroy  the  law,"  are  the  words  uttered 
by  Christ  Himself  (Matt,  v,  17). 

II.  God's  will  cannot  change,  and  hence  His  law  too  is  perma- 
nent. No  natural  law  is  less  liable  to  variation  than  the  eternal 
moral  law.  Jesus  Christ  was  so  far  from  destroying  the  moral 
law  that  it  would  be  true  to  say  that  He  made  it  more  stringent. 
We  have  a  remarkable  instance  of  this  in  to-day's  gospel :  "Who- 
soever shall  look  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her,  hath  already  com- 
mitted adultery  with  her  in  his  heart."  Evil  desires  are  here  con- 
demned— even  if  no  outward  action  is  performed,  the  desire  to 
do  is  sinful,  provided  that  the  will  consents  to  it.  The  law 
here  laid  down  by  Christ  is  certainly  not  less  stringent  than  the 
commandment  of  the  Old  Testament.  In  both  the  old  and  the 
new  law,  God  requires  purity  of  heart  as  well  as  of  body.  If 
we  compare  the  Christian  moral  code  with  that  universally  accepted 
by  mankind,  we  shall  find  that  the  former  makes  far  greater  de- 
mands upon  us  that  the  latter.  No  human  legislator  has  ever 
attempted  to  make  evil  desires,  not  realized  in  action,  punishable 
offences,  but  Christianity  teaches  us  that  the  wish  to  rob,  defraud 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY  69 

and  wrong  our  neighbor  is  a  sin  deserving  punishment,  if  we  do 
not  resist  It.  Instead  of  deceiving  ourselves  with  the  mistaken  idea 
that  the  law  has  been  abolished,  we  had  better  acknowledge  it  to 
be  strictly  binding.  Instead  of  resting  on  a  belief  that  our  freedom 
is  subject  to  no  restriction,  we  should  do  well  to  ask  ourselves  how 
we  are  likely  to  transgress  the  moral  law.  Can  we  be  held  respon- 
sible for  our  evil  desires  ?  Do  they  not  suggest  themselves  of  their 
own  accord,  since  we  are  creatures  of  flesh  and  blood,  conceived 
and  born  in  sin?  Have  we  done  anything  to  cause  them,  and  so 
made  ourselves  answerable  for  them?  To  a  certain  extent  we  are 
responsible.  I  do  not  agree  with  those  who  regard  every  tempta- 
tion due  to  our  corrupt  nature  as  in  itself  a  personal  sin,  for  which 
we  are  personally  guilty.  No;  this  theory  is,  in  my  opinion,  a 
lamentable  exaggeration,  likely  to  mislead  the  moral  judgment;  and 
opposed  to  all  common  sense ;  but  to  a  certain  extent  it  may  in  many 
cases  be  by  our  own  fault  that  we  are  tempted  to  commit  some  par- 
ticular sins,  and  that  these  temptations  get  so  much  hold  upon  us. 
We  have  it  in  our  power  to  resist  our  sinful  nature ;  and  if  we  allow 
ourselves  to  be  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  shall  indeed  resist  the 
perverse  and  evil  desires,  and  prevent  them  from  gaining  influence 
over  us.  In  one  who  is  unaccustomed  to  struggle  against  it,  lust  is 
easily  awakened  at  the  slightest  opportunity,  whereas  it  can  often  be 
suppressed  before  it  is  thoroughly  aroused  by  one  who  is  in  the 
state  of  grace,  and  in  the  habit  of  controlling  himself. 

But  how  can  we  struggle  against  our  passions?  This  is  an  im- 
portant and  practical  question,  and  the  answer  to  it  is  simple:  we 
must  do  our  best  to  avoid  occasions  of  arousing  them.  A  man  who 
knows  by  experience  that  he  cannot  trust  himself  to  drink  wine  in 
moderation,  must  give  it  up  altogether.  One  who  cannot  handle 
other  people's  money  without  great  risk  of  appropriating  some  of 


70  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

it,  ought  to  refrain  from  all  dealings  with  it.  One  who  cannot 
look  at  a  woman  without  lusting  after  her,  ought  to  avoid  seeing 
her.  Here  we  have  a  wide  field  for  everyday  mortification,  and  if 
we  shun  all  occasions  of  sin,  we  are  struggling  against  our  evil 
desires.  If  we  do  not  shun  them,  they  make  themselves  felt  and 
gather  strength,  since  they  encounter  no  opposition.  In  this  way 
we  are  responsible  not  merely  for  our  actions,  but  for  the  awaken- 
ing of  our  wicked  thoughts. 

The  moral  code  of  Christianity  is  truly  strict  enough;  we  need 
not  attempt  to  make  it  more  severe,  as  do  those  who  regard  every 
movement  of  passion  as  in  itself  a  personal  sin,  worthy  of  punish- 
ment. They  aim  at  inspiring  men  with  a  horror  of  all  sin,  but  they 
are  unsuccessful.  The  Gospel  contains  no  justification  for  such 
unnatural  assertions,  which  are  contrary  to  our  common  sense,  and 
consequently  a  relaxation  rather  than  a  quickening  of  our  moral 
consciousness  results  from  these  theories,  as  from  every  other  form 
of  unnatural  rigorism.  A  man  who  finds  that  he  cannot  check  the 
stimulus  of  concupiscence,  will  finally  despond  and  give  up  the 
struggle  as  hopeless.  This  may,  in  the  case  of  strong,  upright 
characters,  lead  to  despair;  in  the  case  of  weaker  men,  to  hypocrisy. 

III.  The  Gospel  continues:  "If  thy  right  eye  scandalize  thee, 
pluck  it  out  and  cast  it  from  thee  .  .  .  and  if  thy  right  hand  scan- 
dalize thee,  cut  it  ofiP,  and  cast  it  from  thee ;  for  it  is  expedient  for 
thee  that  one  of  thy  members  should  perish,  rather  than  that  thy 
whole  body  go  into  hell."  Do  words  such  as  these  indicate  that  the 
law  is  abolished  under  the  new  dispensation?  or  that,  if  we  have 
a  law  at  all,  it  is  a  very  easy-going  one?  We  must  not,  of  course, 
interpret  the  passage  literally,  any  more  than  we  must  understand 
that  followers  of  Christ  must  "hate"  their  father  and  mother,  or 
that  a  sinner  can  have  a  beam  in  his  eye.     In  the  East,  when  a 


FIFTH  SVSDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY  71 

speaker  wishes  to  speak  emphatically,  he  often  uses  language  that, 
taken  literally,  would  be  meaningless.  It  is  important  to  remember 
this  fact,  as  it  helps  us  to  understand  our  Lord's  words  and  other 
passages  in  Holy  Scripture. 

It  is  undeniable  that  we  have  here  a  very  solemn  demand.  We 
ought  to  give  up  the  most  precious  and  apparently  indispensable 
thing  that  we  possess,  rather  than  commit  sin,  or  even  rather  than 
encourage,  instead  of  suppressing,  our  evil  thoughts  and  desires. 
This  law  is  not  abolished,  but  is  made  more  emphatically  binding 
in  the  New  Testament.  The  struggle  to  obey  it  is  carried  on  mostly 
in  silence,  unnoticed  by  men ;  it  brings  us  no  earthly  reward,  but  it 
secures  our  heavenly  crown.  IMany  great  saints,  who  now  dwell 
in  glor}^,  won  their  crowns  in  the  warfare  against  the  flesh  with 
its  lusts  and  concupiscences.  Of  course  God  bestows  the  crown  of 
life  freely  for  Christ's  sake,  but  we  shall  not  receive  it  unless  we 
fight  the  good  fight  and  finish  our  course.  For  those  only,  who  act 
thus,  is  the  crown  of  justice  laid  up. 


^2  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY 
FAITHFULNESS  AND  ITS  REWARD 

"His  Lord  said  to  him :  'Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  because  thou 
hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  place  thee  over  many  things ;  enter 
thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord.'" — Matt,  xxv,  23. 

I.  The  prophet  Isaias  once  exclaimed:  "I  have  lalDored  in  vain, 
I  have  spent  my  strength  without  cause  and  in  vain"  (Is.  xlix,  4). 
Some  people  seem  always  to  prosper,  and  go  through  life  easily  and 
without  trouble,  finding  their  way  smooth,  and  never  laboring  in 
vain.  Let  us  not  grudge  them  their  happiness;  it  is  often  a  favor 
bestowed  upon  them  by  God,  and  not  all  of  us  would  be  capable  of 
bearing  it.  Others  take  everything  lightly,  and  regard  their  life- 
work  superficially;  they  appear  to  succeed  in  all  their  undertakings, 
and  yet  they  are  not  envied,  for  what  costs  one  nothing,  is  of  but 
little  value.  Others  again  bear  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day, 
devoting  all  their  energy  to  honest  work,  and  yet,  like  the  prophet, 
when  they  look  back  they  feel  inclined  to  despond,  because  they  per- 
ceive no  result  of  their  labors,  and  complain  that  all  has  been  in 
vain,  they  have  spent  their  strength  to  no  purpose.  They  remember 
the  enthusiasm  and  hopes  of  their  youth,  and  the  happiness  that 
they  anticipated  for  themselves  and  for  others.  What  have  they 
attained?  Apparently  nothing.  They  have  toiled  perhaps  for  some 
child,  who  has  grievously  disappointed  them,  or  for  the  good  of 
the  state,  which  has  given  them  no  recognition  at  all  in  return  for 
their  services. 

I  may  even  go  further  and  say  that  some  who  devote  themselves 
to  the  service  of  God  and  to  promoting  the  welfare  of  His  King- 


SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY  7Z 

dom,  meet  with  nothing  but  discouragement.  Many  great  saints 
have  complained  of  this.  King  David  worked  for  God,  and  saw 
no  fruit  of  his  labors,  even  in  his  own  family.  He  underwent  the 
painful  experience  of  being  like  a  stranger  among  his  own  people, 
in  spite  of  all  his  good  intentions.  "For  Thy  sake,"  he  exclaimed, 
"I  have  borne  reproach,  shame  hath  covered  my  face ;  I  am  become 
a  stranger  to  my  brethren,  and  an  alien  to  the  sons  of  my  mother" 
(Ps.  Ixviii,  8,  9).  He  lavished  all  his  resources  on  God's  house, 
but  he  saw  no  result,  save  the  expenditure  of  his  strength.  "The 
zeal  of  Thy  house  hath  eaten  me  up"  {ibid.  10).  Another  holy 
psalmist  suffered  perhaps  still  more  acutely.  All  his  efforts  were 
in  the  cause  of  the  peace  that  he  loved,  but  others  hated  it,  and  so 
instead  of  enjoying  peace,  war  was  forced  upon  him.  Hence  he 
complained  that  he  had  dwelt  too  long  amongst  those  that  hated 
peace.  "I  was  peaceable,"  he  said,  "but  when  I  spoke  to  them  they 
fought  against  me  without  cause"  (Ps.  cxix,  7).  He  longed  to  die 
and  escape  from  his  persecutors,  and  his  words  remind  us  of  those 
uttered  by  the  prophet  Elias,  when,  weary  of  working  among  the 
perverse  people,  he  went  out  into  the  desert  and  prayed  for  death, 
saying:  "It  is  enough  for  me.  Lord,  take  away  my  soul"  (3  Kings, 
xix,  4). 

n.  Is  it  not  sad  that  men  should  labor  under  such  circumstances 
until  they  are  reduced  to  despair?  Let  us  not  be  overhasty  in 
judging  them.  Some  really  labor  in  vain,  but  have  no  right  to  com- 
plain, because  their  want  of  success  is  due  to  their  own  fault.  In 
to-day's  Gospel  we  read  how  the  Master  at  His  departure  assigned 
different  tasks  to  His  servants,  "to  everyone  according  to  his  proper 
ability."  But  men  often  make  the  great  mistake  of  choosing  their 
task  for  themselves,  instead  of  accepting  what  God  imposes  upon 
them.     They  do  not  take  into  account,  in  a  rational  way,  the  cir- 


74  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

cumstances  of  their  age  and  life,  but  act  impulsively,  according  to 
the  inclination  of  the  moment.  They  are  apt  not  to  consider  their 
own  abilities,  and  so  they  run  their  head  against  a  wall,  and  incur 
responsibilities  to  which  they  are  quite  unequal.  Many  a  one  relies 
on  his  own  powers  to  accomplish  something  that  will  cause  his 
name  to  be  mentioned  in  the  papers,  and  discussed  by  his  neighbors. 
He  aims  at  being  a  good  man  of  business,  a  great  politician,  scholar, 
author  or  artist,  or  possibly  a  great  swindler ;  nothing  matters,  pro- 
vided that  it  is  something  great.  He  forgets  that  he  is  absolutely 
insignificant  and  incapable  of  accomplishing  anything  remarkable. 
This  desire  to  attract  attention  is  one  of  the  maladies  of  the  age 
in  which  we  live,  and  a  man  who  yields  to  It,  often  falls  a  victim 
to  megalomania,  as  any  specialist  on  brain  disease  can  testify.  But 
has  such  a  person  any  right  to  complain  if  he  does  not  succeed  in  his 
undertakings?  No,  he  has  much  more  reason  to  blame  his  own 
folly  and  to  adopt  another  line  of  action.  So  much  for  those  who 
really  labor  in  vain. 

It  may,  however,  happen  that  one  who  Is  discouraged  because  he 
sees  no  results  of  his  work,  has  not  really  exerted  himself  to  no 
purpose.  This  was  the  case  with  the  prophet  Ellas,  who  felt  that 
he  had  wasted  hi^  ener^  upon  a  fickle  and  un-Godly  nation.  Yet 
he  had  not  served  God  in  vain,  for  there  were  still  seven  thousand 
who  had  not  bent  the  knee  to  Baal.  Only  Ellas  did  not  see  them, 
and  so  he  was  despondent.  There  is  an  old  saying :  "He  who  works 
for  God,  labors  not  in  vain."  It  is  a.  consoling  proverb,  and  in- 
variably true.  If  you  can  satisfy  yourself  that  you  are  working 
for  God,  and  trying  to  serve  Him  In  all  that  you  do,  you  need  not 
be  anxious  about  success,  nor  ought  you  to  be  discouraged.  You 
will  certainly  reap  your  reward  when  God  sees  fit.  "They  that 
«ow  in  tears  shall  reap  In  joy;  going  they  went  and  wept,  casting 


SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  EPIPHANY  75 

their  seeds;  but  coming  they  shall  come  with  joyiulness,  carrying 
their  sheaves"  (Ps.  cxxv,  5-7).  It  is  our  business  to  sow  and  water 
the  seed,  but  God  alone  can  make  it  grow.  Therefore  be  calm  and 
continue  quietly  to  work  for  Him. 

Why  is  work  for  God  never  in  vain,  never  without  success  or 
reward?  Because  He  regards  our  fidelity  in  His  service,  not  the 
results  of  our  activity.  This  is  the  chief  point  in  to-day's  Gospel, 
"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant;  because  thou  hast  been 
faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  place  thee  over  many  things; 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord."  The  faithful  servant  is 
rewarded  for  his  fidelity,  the  bad  steward  is  punished  for  his 
infidelity.  To  all  His  followers  our  Lord  says:  "Be  thou  faithful 
unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  crown  of  life"  (Apoc.  ii,  10). 
The  crown  of  everlasting  life  will  be  the  reward  of  faithfulness  in 
our  life  on  earth. 

Let  us  then  work  loyally,  each  in  his  diflFerent  calling.  It  matters 
nothing  what  you  are,  servant  or  employer,  scholar,  laborer  or 
official;  all  that  matters  is  that  you  should  be  faithful.  Do  not 
expect  to  see  results,  nor  wish  men  to  admire  your  work.  Expect 
nothing  of  your  fellow  creatures,  and  then  they  cannot  disappoint 
you,  or  destroy  your  peace  of  mind.  Everything  depends  upon 
your  being  faithful,  for  then  your  labor  will  be  precious  in  God's 
sight,  and  this  is  enough  for  you,  since  thus  you  will  enjoy  great 
peace. 


76  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SEPTUAGESIMA  SUNDAY 
IDLENESS,  WORK,  WAGES 

"The  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  like  to  a  householder,  who  went  out  early  in 
the  morning  to  hire  laborers  into  his  vineyard.  And  having  agreed  with  the 
laborers  for  a  penny  a  day,  he  sent  them  into  his  vineyard.  And  going  out 
about  the  third  hour,  he  saw  others  standing  in  the  msfrket-place  idle,  and  he 
said  to  them :  Go  ye  also  into  my  vineyard,  and  I  will  give  you  what  shall  be 
just." — Matt.  XX,  1-4. 

I.  Idleness. — Not  long  ago  I  read  a  characteristic  description  of 
modern  life ;  it  was  to  this  effect :  A  man  sits  by  the  seashore  one 
morning  in  summer.  All  is  peaceful  around,  but  he  is  conscious 
of  nothing  save  that  there  is  a  profound  silence  about  him.  In  a 
sort  of  day-dream  he  gazes  at  the  blue  ocean  and  the  cloudless  sky. 
What  is  he  thinking  of?  Nothing.  We  might  continue  the  story 
and  add  that  he  was  in  the  springtide  of  life,  the  sixth  hour  of  the 
day,  but  he  thought  of  nothing  worthy  of  consideration,  and  so  the 
springtide  passed  away.  The  ninth  hour  came  and  found  him  in 
all  the  vigor  of  manhood.  We  see  him  entering  a  restaurant,  the 
favorite  rendezvous  of  the  men  about  town.  It  is  a  fashionable 
place,  and  he  meets  many  acquaintances  there.  He  is  pale  and 
tired  after  all  the  gaiety  of  the  evening  before.  He  orders  the 
same  dish  as  his  friends — something  pungent,  washed  down  with 
spirits,  just  enough  to  revive  his  energy  for  fresh  amusements. 
Throughout  the  day  his  one  occupation  is  to  seek  entertainment; 
in  the  evening  he  visits  friends  or  some  unhappy  girl  who  loves 
and  trusts  him,  but,  after  leading  her  astray,  he  casts  her  aside, 


SEPTUAGESIMA  SUNDAY  jy 

and  turns  to  fresh  acquaintances,  as  he  has  done  many  times  before. 
Thus  he  passes  the  years  of  his  manhood,  until  at  last  the  eleventh 
hour  arrives,  and  he  begins  to  grow  old ;  he  is  tired  of  life,  worn  out 
in  body  and  mind,  although  his  passions  are  not  yet  extinct.  He 
has  lost  all  power  of  enjoyment,  and  feels  existence  to  be  a  horrible, 
unendurable  burden.  He  wonders  how  he  can  most  easily  put  an 
end  to  it;  will  a  pistol-shot  or  a  few  drops  of  poison  serve  his  pur- 
pose best?  He  dies,  and  his  boon  companions  remark  that  they 
would  not  have  thought  it  of  him. 

He  is  indeed  one  of  those  who  stood  all  day  long  idle  in  the 
market  place.  We  need  hardly  discuss  such  a  man,  were  it  not  for 
the  strange  opinion  current  in  the  world  that  a  life  of  this  sort  is 
far  from  reprehensible.  Those  who  take  this  view  consider  life  in 
itself  to  be  so  detestable  that  every  one  ought  to  make  it  as  endur- 
able as  possible  for  himself.  Hence,  they  say,  enjoy  it  as  long  as 
you  can  enjoy  it,  and  when  you  are  incapable  of  enjoyment,  depart 
by  some  painless  form  of  death.  Such  is  the  morality  taught  in  the 
20th  century  by  those  who  refuse  to  accept  the  Gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  The  young  imbibe  this  fatal  doctrine  from  innumerable 
novels,  papers  and  magazines. 

Another  man  tolls  early  and  late  for  himself  and  his  family;  he 
allows  himself  no  recreation,  and  far  less  any  amusement.  He  is 
urged  on  by  an  insatiable  desire  to  make  money.  Can  he  be  de- 
scribed as  standing  idle  in  the  market  place?  The  very  suggestion 
seems  absurd,  and  yet  it  is  true  in  the  Gospel  sense,  if  he  really 
cares  for  nothing  but  acquiring  wealth;  if  he  has  never  seriously 
tried  to  gain  what  is  better  than  money,  he  is,  in  spite  of  all  his 
exertions,  an  idler,  in  the  meaning  assigned  to  the  word  in  the 
parable.  Another  man  lives  for  the  state,  and  devotes  himself  to 
the  public  welfare,  promoting  all  kinds  of  useful  reforms  and  advo- 


78  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

eating  what  he  calls  progress.  He  gives  himself  no  rest,  but  is 
always  making  speeches,  writing  to  the  newspapers,  or  compiling 
books  on  trade,  education,  taxation  and  politics.  He  derives  very- 
little  pleasure  and  a  great  deal  of  trouble  from  his  activity,  but  he 
intends  to  do  some  great  work  in  the  world.  Yet  he  is  an  idler 
according  to  the  Gospel,  if  he  cares  only  to  accomplish  some  great 
undertaking  in  this  world,  and  overlooks  the  one  thing  needful,  the 
salvation  of  his  soul.  If  he  were  the  most  important  man  on  earth, 
he  would  still  be  lower  than  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  who 
takes  pains  to  save  his  soul. 

n.  Work. — After  what  has  been  said,  perhaps  you  will  expect 
me,  .when  I  speak  of  work,  to  represent  it  as  something  altogether 
different  from  our  ordinary  occupations,  as  having  nothing  to  do 
with  our -everyday  pursuits,  and  as  the  one  thing  needful  in  con- 
trast to  them,  so  that  they  will  appear  insignificant  and  unessential, 
and  likely  to  hinder  and  interrupt  our  one  supreme  task  of  securing 
our  salvation. 

Such  is,  however,  by  no  means  my  intention.  Of  course  certain 
hours  and  seasons  must  be  devoted  to  the  care  of  our  souls,  hours 
of  quiet  self-examination,  meditation  and  prayers,  hours  spent 
solely  in  the  service  of  God,  either  at  home  or  in  His  house,  when 
all  worldly  occupations  must  be  set  aside.  But  it  is  no  less 
important  that  thoughts  of  our  final  end  should  penetrate  and  sanc- 
tify our  daily  work;  it  is  quite  possible  to  combine  the  promotion 
of  God's  glory  and  of  our  salvation  with  the  discharge  of  domestic 
work  or  the  duties  of  a  tradesman,  artisan  or  politician.  This  fact 
is  apt  to  be  ignored,  and  people  think  of  work  in  the  world  and 
work  in  God's  service  as  two  quite  distinct  and  mutually  antagonistic 
things,  whereas  each  ought  to  be  a  support  to  the  other. 

You  should  learn  therefore  how  to  sanctify  all  that  you  do,  even 


SEPTUAGESIMA  SUNDAY  79 

your  worldly  occupations,  no  matter  what  they  are,  if  only  they  are 
honest.  You  should  learn,  too,  how  to  control  your  passions,  to 
mortify  your  desires  and  to  subdue  your  evil  thoughts.  You  should 
learn  to  think  good  and  not  evil  of  others,  to  love  and  not  to  hate, 
and  to  be  silent  or  reply  with  friendly  words  when  spiteful  remarks 
are  made.  You  should  learn  to  labor  with  the  intention  of  doing 
your  duty  to  God,  instead  of  aiming  only  at  your  own  pleasure  and 
profit.  In  this  way  you  will  be  working  for  the  good  of  your  soul 
in  the  midst  of  your  ordinary  pursuits,  you  will  be  a  laborer  in 
God's  vineyard,  and  you  will  benefit  your  country  and  those  about 
you.  If  everyone  acted  thus,  our  native  land  would  become  God's 
vineyard,  where  all  might  live  and  toil  in  happiness. 

The  final  end  of  every  such  laborer  is  to  serve  God,  and  in 
serving  Him  he  enjoys  peace  and  happiness  in  this  world  and  in 
the  next  life  everlasting, 

III.  Wages. — In  the  evening  the  Lord  of  the  vineyard  will  pay 
each  laborer  his  wages.  How  is  the  amount  due  to  each  reckoned  ? 
According  to  the  fidelity  with  which  he  has  worked,  not  according 
to  the  quantity  accomplished.  This  is  stated  plainly  in  the  Gospel, 
and  should  afford  us  much  consolation.  The  servant  who  had 
worked  faithfully  for  one  hour  received  as  much  as  those  who  had 
borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.  Is  not  this  a  comforting 
thought  to  one  who  has  worked  hard  and  yet  feels  that  all  is  in 
vain,  and  that  he  has  accomplished  almost  nothing.  The  very  sense 
of  failure  is  good  for  him,  since  it  keeps  him  humble,  and  prevents 
any  thoughts  of  his  own  ability  and  skill.  When  all  goes  well  with 
us,  we  are  only  too  ready  to  forget  that  everything  depends  ulti- 
mately upon  God's  grace,  and  that  it  is  by  a  great  favor  that  we 
are  called  to  work  in  His  vineyard.  If  we  overlook  this  fact,  the 
end  may  be  that  the  first  will  be  last.     Be  therefore  faithful  unto 


So  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

4 

death,  whether  you  began  to  labor  in  the  morning  or  at  the  eleventh 
hour.  The  results  may  be  great,  small  or  almost  imperceptible,  but 
that  matters  nothing,  if  only  you  are  faithful.  He  is  faithful  who 
promised  that  those  who  have  served  Him  well  shall  enter  into  the 
joy  of  their  Lord. 


SEX  AG  ESI  MA  SUNDAY  8i 

SEXAGESIMA  SUNDAY 

DISTRESSED   AND   SCATTERED 

"Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  He  may  send  forth 
laborers  into  His  harvest." — Matt,  ix,  38. 

I.  Distressed. — At  the  present  day  many  have  no  faith,  and  hence 
they  have  no  fixed  centre  in  their  spiritual  life.  They  are  deeply 
distressed  and  unhappy,  and  can  not  completely  hide  their  misery 
from  themselves  or  others.  There  is  much  that  calls  for  criticism 
in  modern  literature,  but  in  one  respect  it  is  better  than  the  earlier 
style,  known  as  romantic,  because  it  is  more  true.  French  authors 
esp^ially,  in  spite  of  all  their  frivolity,  depict  with  appalling  plain- 
ness the  absolute  wretchedness  of  human  beings  who  have  no  faith 
in  the  word  of  God.  There  is  an  unmistakable  note  of  despair  in 
many  recent  books. 

Jesus  Christ  came  to  satisfy  the  craving  of  the  human  soul  for 
a  Divine  revelation,  and  He  sent  His  Apostles  forth  into  the  world 
to  preach  the  kingdom  of  God,  i.  e.,  to  make  God  known  to  all  who 
were  in  misery  through  knowing  Him  not.  Our  text  shows,  how- 
ever, that  Christ  attached  the  utmost  importance  not  only  to  their 
preaching  about  God,  but  to  their  doing  so  as  commissioned  by  God 
to  proclaim  His  word.  Thus  there  would  be  something  definite 
upon  which  everyone  could  lay  hold,  and  a  pure  spring,  whence 
all  might  quench  their  thirst. 

This  is  why  our  Saviour  said :  "Pray  ye  the  Lord  of  the  harvest, 
that  He  may  send  forth-  laborers  into  His  harvest."  God  intends  to 
send  forth  those  who  are  to  preach  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  the 


82  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

work  was  set  on  foot  by  our  divine  Lord,  who  chose  out,  trained 
and  consecrated  His  Apostles,  and  commissioned  them  to  preach 
Him  and  His  kingdom.  Before  His  ascension  He  gathered  them 
around  Him  and  repeated  the  instructions  already  given  them, 
adding :  "Behold,  I  am  with  you  all  days,  even  to  the  consummation 
of  the  world."  How  can  He  be  with  His  Apostles  to  the  end  of 
the  world?  He  will  be  with  those  who  are  to  continue  the  work 
of  the  Apostles,  the  first  witnesses  to  Christ.  And  who  are  they? 
Just  as  Christ  chose  out  His  Apostles,  so  did  they  in  their  turn 
choose  their  successors,  and  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  impart  to 
them  their  commission  and  consecration.  For  instance,  Christ 
Himself  selected  St.  Paul  to  be  an  Apostle,  and  he  chose  Timothy 
and  Titus  to  succeed  him,  and  consecrated  them  and  charged  them 
explicitly  to  choose  and  consecrate  others  to  be  their  successors. 
In  this  way  there  has  always  been  a  constant  succession  of  wit- 
nesses to  God's  truth,  men  who  alone  possess  authority  and  con- 
secration, conferred  upon  them  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  not  assumed 
arbitrarily  by  themselves.  They  are  the  inheritors  of  the  promise: 
"Behold,  I  am  with  you  all  days,  even  to  the  consummation  of  the 
world."  Christ's  Apostles  bequeathed  to  us  their  doctrine,  and  their 
successors  have  continued  their  work,  which  is  a  sacred  inheritance, 
fraught  with  blessings  to  the  Church  in  every  age,  since  the  revealed 
word  has  been  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  both 
in  Holy  Scripture  and  by  oral  tradition. 

Can  we  doubt  that  in  the  Church  of  Christ  we  possess  what  we 
need — information  regarding  God  and  His  kingdom,  anu  this  in- 
formation is  trustworthy,  because  it  is  given  us  by  God  Himself. 
Wherefore  "continue  in  those  things  which  thou  hast  learned  and 
which  have  been  committed  to  thee,  knowing  of  whom  thou  hast 
learned  them"   (2  Tim.  iii,  14),  viz.,  of  one  who  possessed  in  a 


SEX  AG  ESI  MA  SUNDAY  83 

Special  degree  the  ability,  will  and  authority  to  preach,  not  merely 
the  truth,  but  truth  Divinely  revealed. 

There  is  a  majesty  in  this  inheritance,  which  the  world  neither 
knows  nor  suspects.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  "Word"  of  God,  and  this 
is  the  "Word"  proclaimed  in  His  Church  by  His  lawful  ministers, 
to  whom  He  has  promised  that  He  will  abide  with  them  for  ever, 
even  to  the  consummation  of  the  world.  If  the  world,  that  fancies 
itself  so  wise  and  enlightened,  had  any  idea  of  the  majesty  of  this 
inheritance,  it  would  not  hesitate  to  seek  out  the  kingdom  of  God. 
But  do  all,  who  call  themselves  Christians,  rightly  appreciate  the 
Apostolic  office  of  the  Church?  No;  the  majority  do  not,  and 
this  reflection  can  only  fill  us  with  alarm,  since  these  are  the  people 
of  whom  St.  Paul  says  that  according  to  their  own  desires  they 
heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having  itching  ears  to  hear  only  what 
pleases  them.  They  care  nothing  from  whom  they  derive  their 
theories,  and  do  not  ask  whether  their  teachers  are  duly  commis- 
sioned by  God,  and  consequently  trustworthy.  The  creed  of  the 
Church  falls  on  deaf  ears  or  is  altogether  rejected,  whilst  human 
utterances  are  eagerly  accepted,  applauded  and  proclaimed  from  the 
housetops.  Is  it  not  sad  to  see  men  languishing  in  ignorance, 
although  the  word  of  God  is  constantly  preached  in  their  midst? 

There  is  another  thing,  also  calculated  to  fill  us  with  horror. 
Some  profess  to  base  all  their  faith  upon  the  Bible  alone;  but  no 
book  in  the  world  has  suffered  such  ill  usage  as  the  Bible.  We 
might  understand  an  agnostic's  attitude  towards  it,  but  it  seems 
incomprehensible  that  those  who  claim  to  derive  all  their  Chris- 
tianity from  the  Bible,  treat  it  as  they  do.  They  depreciate  its  value, 
criticize  it  unmercifully,  and  deny  that  we  can  rely  upon  its  being 
wholly  the  word  of  God.  Is  this  not  equivalent  to  cutting  off  the 
branch  on  which  one  is  sitting? 


84  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

Unless  these  people  return  to  the  old  faith  of  the  Church  and 
regard  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God,  there  is  no  help  for  them. 
We  cannot  doubt  that  many  who  criticise  revealed  truth,  whether 
recorded  in  Holy  Scripture  or  handed  down  by  tradition,  are  in 
good  faith,  and  believe  that  such  criticism  does  not  imperil  their 
hold  upon  Christianity.  But  faith  not  based  on  a  perfectly  firm 
foundation,  such  as  God  has  given  us  in  a  supernatural  manner, 
must  finally  end  in  deception. 

11.  Scattered. — Jesus  Christ  felt  the  deepest  sympathy  with  the 
multitudes,  who  were  not  only  distressed,  buttalso  scattered,  like 
sheep  without  a  shepherd.  It  is  a  great  misfortune  for  a  man  to 
drift  through  life,  tossed  this  way  and  that,  a  prey  to  his  own 
fancies  and  self-deceptions.  Yet  this  is  inevitably  the  lot  of  those 
who  recognize  no  Divine  revelation  and  no  Divinely  commissioned 
guides. 

We  are  all  irresistibly  impelled  to  seek  companionship  in  faith, 
learning  and  life;  it  is  terrible  to  stand  alone;  and  yet  this  is  the 
position  of  those  who  refuse  to  accept  Divine  revelation  and  to 
submit  to  the  Church's  guidance,  preferring  to  think  for  themselves 
on  the  most  important  matters.  Literature  has  a  great  influence 
upon  modern  lines  of  thought,  but  nowadays  there  is  something 
in  it  suggestive  of  exhaustion;  formerly  men  adhered  more  or  less 
to  definite  methods,  now  they  have  abandoned  them  as  unsatis- 
factory. They  no  longer  assert  anything  to  be  true,  but  they  ask, 
"What  is  truth?"  without,  however,  venturing  to  answer  the 
question. 

Jesus  Christ  sent  out  His  servants  to  bear  testimony  both  to  God 
and  His  kingdom.  The  Apostles  were  to  be  witnesses  to  what  was 
common  to  many  and  yet  one  (for  no  society  can  exist  without 
unity),  and  this  unity  was  to  appear  in  the  life,  faith,  hope  and 


SEXAGESIMA  SUNDAY  85 

charity  of  the  Church.  Our  Lord  knew  what  men  required,  viz., 
union  and  unity,  and  we  find  both  in  the  Church  that  He  established. 
It  was  not  His  will  that  men  should  perish  like  sheep  straying  each 
his  own  way,  and  so  He  founded  the  Church  whose  prosperity 
and  strength  consists  to  a  great  extent  in  her  unity,  and  in  the  union 
of  our  hearts  with  God. 

The  Church  has  always  preserved  her  unity,  though  she  has 
suffered  grievous  losses  in  consequence  of  men's  disloyalty.  Should 
she  regain  what  she  originally  possessed  when  all  professing  to  be 
Christians  acknowledged  her  as  their  mother,  she  would  be  the 
greatest  power  in  the  world,  able  to  make  the  desert  blossom  like 
a  rose.  We  have  indeed  cause  to  regret  that  the  idea  of  union  and 
unity,  which  was  present  in  our  Lord's  mind  when  He  founded 
His  Church,  is  so  little  understood.  People  seem  not  to  realise 
it,  and  not  to  appreciate  the  value  of  unity;  although  it  is  plainly 
stated  m  Christ's  prayer:  "Not  for  them  only  do  I  pray,  but  for 
them  also  who  through  their  word  shall  believe  in  me;  that  they 
all  may  be  one,  as  Thou,  Father,  in  Me,  and  I  in  Thee ;  that  they 
also  may  be  one  in  us;  that  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou  hast 
sent  Me.  And  the  glory  which  Thou  hast  given  Me,  I  have  given 
to  them ;  that  they  may  be  one,  as  We  also  are  one.  I  in  them,  and 
Thou  in  Me;  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one;  and  that  the 
world  may  know  that  Thou  hast  sent  Me,  and  hast  loved  them,  as 
Thou  hast  loved  Me"  (John  xvii,  20-23). 

Our  Saviour  could  not  have  given  more  touching  expression  to 
His  desire  for  unity  among  His  followers  than  He  did  in  these 
words,  uttered  when  He  was  about  to  withdraw  from  them  His 
visible  presence.  The  unity  among  Christians  was  to  be  a  marvel 
to  the  whole  world,  sufficient  to  convert  it  to  faith  in  Christ.  Is  this 
not  a  testimony  to  the  incalculable  value  of  unity? 


86  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

We  seem  to  catch  an  echo  of  our  Lord's  words  in  St.  Paul's 
admonition  to  the  Ephesians  (iv,  i-6)  :  "I  therefore,  a  prisoner  in 
the  Lord,  beseech  you  that  you  ...  be  careful  to  keep  the  unity 
of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace.  One  body  and  one  Spirit,  as 
you  are  called  in  one  hope  of  your  calling.  One  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  all."  To  the  Corinthians  he 
writes  (i  Cor.  i,  lo)  :  "I  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  name  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  that  you  all  speak  the  same  thing,  and  that 
there  be  no  schisms  among  you,  but  that  you  be  perfect  in  the 
same  mind  and  in  the  same  judgment."  And  to  the  Philippians 
(ii,  I,  2)  :  "If  there  be  therefore  any  consolation  in  Christ,  if  any 
comfort  of  charity,  if  any  society  of  the  spirit  .  .  .  fullfil  ye  my  joy, 
that  you  be  of  one  mind,  having  the  same  charity,  being  of  one 
accord,  agreeing  in  sentiment." 

Is  it  possible  for  any  one,  after  reading  these  passages,  to  doubt 
that  the  restoration  of  the  original  Apostolic  unity  among  Christians 
ought  to  be  the  object  of  our  most  fervent  prayers? 

But  can  we,  as  individuals,  do  anything  to  promote  this  unity? 
Is  the  harm  now  not  irreparable?  Is  not  the  prejudice  against  the 
Church  too  deep  to  be  overcome  by  any  human  effort?  I  can  only 
reply  that  when  we  are  brought  face  to  face  with  an  unquestionable 
duty,  we  can  perform  it,  for  God  never  asks  us  to  do  what  is  be- 
yond our  strength.  St.  Peter  charges  us  to  be  "ready  always  to 
satisfy  everyone  that  asketh  a  reason  of  that  hope  which  is  in  us" 
(i  Peter  iii,  15).  The  opponents  of  the  Church  must  first  of  all 
be  convinced  that  many  of  their  prejudices  are  due  to  their  failure 
to  understand  her  teaching  and  practices,  and  that  it  is  not  fair  to 
impute  to  her  the  errors  of  her  frail  and  faulty  members  in  every 
age.  We  must  impress  upon  our  critics  the  duty  of  hearing  what 
the  Church  herself  has  to  say  on  certain  questions,  and  of  not 


SEXAGESIMA  SUNDAY  87 

listening  exclusively  to  her  antagonists.  It  is  impossible  to  arrive 
at  a  fair  decision  without  considering  both  sides ;  any  other  opinion 
will  inevitably  be  prejudiced. 

]\Iuch  good  can  be  effected  by  the  removal  of  misunderstandings 
and  prejudices;  but,  when  we  exert  ourselves  to  promote  unity, 
let  us  beware  of  forgetting  the  Apostle's  exhortation  to  gentleness. 
Otherwise  we  shall  do  more  harm  than  good  to  the  cause  that  we 
have  at  heart.  Finally  we  must  remember  that  we  are  ordered  to 
pray  as  well  as  to  work — ora  et  labora,  and  prayer  comes  first.  It 
is  the  duty  of  every  Christian  to  pray  daily  for  the  unity  of  the 
Church. 

May  God  have  mercy  on  us  all,  on  those  within  and  those  without 
the  fold!  My  firm  belief  is  that  if  a  loud,  unanimous  prayer  for 
unity  arose  from  all  our  hearts,  the  Lord  of  the  sheepfold  would 
hear  and  answer  it.  He  expects  us  to  pray  thus,  for  He  once 
implored  His  heavenly  Father  that  all  men  might  be  one.  If  only 
this  wish  were  fulfilled,  the  miracle  would  be  accomplished,  and  a 
happier  day  would  dawn  for  all  who  are  now  scattered  and  dis- 
tressed. 


i: 


88  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY 
THE  BAPTISM  OF  CHRIST 

"Then  cometh  Jesus  from  Galilee  to  the  Jordan,  unto  John,  to  be  baptized 
by  him." — Math,  iii,  13. 

"I  ought  to  be  baptized  by  Thee,  and  Thou  comest  to  me?" 
St.  John  greeted  our  Saviour  with  these  words,  and  we  can 
easily  understand  why  he  did  so.  Jesus  is  always  coming  to  us, 
and  seeking  us,  although  He  has  no  need  of  us.  He  does  not  wait 
for  us  to  seek  Him,  although  we  require  Him,  if  we  are  to  be 
saved.  If  He  did  not  seek  us  first,  we  should  never  have  recourse 
to  Him,  and  He  tells  us  this  plainly:  "Behold,  I  stand  at  the  gate 
and  knock.  If  any  man  shall  hear  my  voice  and  open  to  me  the 
door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him  and  he  with  me" 
(Apoc.  iii,  20).  It  would  seem  more  natural  for  us  to  stand  at 
His  door,  humbly  knocking  and  asking  to  be  admitted  to  our 
Father's  house;  but  no, — He  comes  first  to  look  for  us;  He  comes 
day  after  day,  and  especially  on  Sunday,  when  He  is  in  our  midst, 
teaching  us  and  offering  us  the  means  of  grace,  visiting  us  in  all 
His  mercy  and  truth,  and  calling  us  to  Himself. 

It  would  be  well  for  us  if  we  appreciated  His  goodness  and  con- 
descension, His  compassion  and  unfailing  charity,  and  if  we  did 
so,  we  should  exclaim,  like  St.  John :  "Lord,  I  have  need  of  Thee, 
and  comest  Thou  to  me?"  The  baptism  of  Christ  marks  His 
public  appearance  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  the  Agnus  Dei,  for  it  was 
then  that  He  entered  upon  His  public  ministry. 

I.     The  Meaning  of  His  Baptism  to  Christ  Himself. — Our  Lord 


QUINQUAGESIMA  SUNDAY  S9 

came  to  receive  the  baptism  of  John,  which  was  the  baptism  of 
penance  for  the  remission  of  sins  (Luke  iii,  3),  and  intended  for 
sinners,  who  sought  forgiveness  by  means  of  penance.  John  saw 
before  him  a  crowd  of  people  weighed  down  by  the  burden  of 
guilt  and  desiring  relief ;  and  amongst  them  was  Jesus  Christ.  How 
could  He  come  to  receive  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins?  He 
was  absolutely  sinless;  His  justice  was  free  from  all  stain;  why 
should  He  come  to  St.  John?  He  could  not  indeed,  strictly  speak- 
ing, receive  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  yet  in  another 
sense  it  is  true  to  say  that  He  bore  a  load  of  sin  heavier  than  that 
borne  by  any  of  the  others  who  came  to  receive  baptism  at  the  hands 
of  St.  John.  He  was  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  His  burden,  consist- 
ing of  the  sin  and  guilt  of  the  whole  world,  was  destined  to  crush 
Him  and  cause  His  death.  It  was  not  under  the  weight  of  Llis 
own  sins  that  Lie  suffered,  but  under  that  of  the  sins  of  the  world, 
— including  yours  and  mine. 

But  did  He  really  come  to  seek  remission  of  sins?  Yes;  if  we 
consider  the  facts  carefully,  we  shall  see  that  He  came  to  St.  John, 
as  He  had  come  into  the  world,  to  obtain  remission  of  the  sins  of 
others,  not  of  His  own.  God's  designs  are  so  wonderful  that  we 
could  never  imagine  them  for  ourselves,  but  they  are  at  the  same 
time  so  wise  that,  when  once  they  have  been  revealed  to  us,  we  are 
forced  to  acknowledge  them  to  be  precisely  adapted  to  supply  our 
need^s,  since  we  are  sinners,  incapable  of  ever  making  reparation 
sufficient  to  secure  our  eternal  salvation. 

II.  The  Meaning  of  Christ's  Baptism  to  Us. — ^We  must  bear 
in  mind  that  He  was  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  over  Him  hovered  the 
Holy  Spirit,  whilst  God's  voice  resounded  from  heaven.  Our  Lord 
was  the  Lamb  of  God,  the  Victim  making  atonement  for  our  sins, 
and  making  it  completely,  though  not  so  that  all  the  punishment 


90  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

due  to  sin  should  be  removed.  We  were  not  to  be  spared  the 
discipline  of  suffering  and  death,  for  it  is  good  for  us  to  do  pen- 
ance. "All  chastisement  for  the  present  indeed  seemeth  not  to 
bring  with  it  joy,  but  sorrow;  but  afterwards  it  will  yield,  to  them 
that  are  exercised  by  it,  the  most  peaceable  fruit  of  justice"  (Heb. 
xii,  ii).  The  Lamb  of  God,  however,  took  away  the  sentence 
condemning  us  to  everlasting  death,  so  that  now  we  can  bear  chas- 
tisement in  this  world  under  the  Cross  of  Christ.  Sometimes  His 
friends  receive  such  abundant  grace  that  they  delight  in  the  Cross, 
and,  like  St.  Paul,  rejoice  in  their  sufferings  (Col.  i,  24)  ;  and  then 
they  experience  heavenly  consolation,  for  behind  the  Cross  they 
behold  the  radiance  of  the  crown  reserved  for  those  who  are  faith- 
ful. There  will  be  no  more  death  for  those  who  believe  in  the 
Lamb  of  God. 

The  Holy  Spirit  hovered  over  our  Lord  at  His  baptism,  as  a 
pledge  that  He  will  come  to  us  also,  bringing  life  and  strength.  We 
have  been  baptized  in  the  name  of  Him  who  received  baptism  for 
our  sake,  and  was  consecrated  to  be  our  Redeemer,  and  to  bear 
His  Cross  for  us.  At  our  baptism  the  same  Spirit*  bestowed  upon 
us  strength  to  bear  our  crosses  for  God's  sake,  and  this  is  our 
highest  honor.  God's  Holy  Spirit  consecrated  Christ  to  sacrifice 
His  life  for  us,  and  the  same  Spirit  enables  us  to  sacrifice  some- 
thing in  token  of  our  love  and  gratitude  to  Him.  This  thought 
should  bring  glory  and  happiness  to  all  who  suffer.  God's  voice 
resounded  from  heaven,  saying :  "This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom 
I  am  well  pleased."  Have  these  words  any  application  to  us? 
Yes,  if  we  believe  in  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  opened  to  us  the  gate 
of  heaven  that  our  sins  had  closed.  Our  offences  are  countless  as 
the  sand  on  the  seashore,  and  they  cry  to  heaven  against  us.  But 
if  you  sigh  under  their  burden,  long  for  forgiveness  and  confess 


QUIXQU  AGES  IMA  SUNDAY  91 

your  transgressions  to  the  priest  appointed  by  God,  heaven  will 
be  opened  above  you  also  in  the  holy  Sacrament  of  Penance ;  and 
you,  too,  will  hear  the  gracious  words :  "This  is  my  beloved  child, 
in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  Blessed  and  praised,  therefore,  be 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  our  sins! 

When  Jesus  came  forward  to  receive  baptism  from  St.  John, 
He  solemnly  proclaimed  to  every  generation  of  men  that  He  was 
the  Agnus  Dei,  who  had  taken  upon  Himself  the  burden  of  our 
sins,  in  order  to  obtain  forgiveness  of  them  from  God.  All  the 
teaching  of  the  gospel  was  summed  up  at  His  baptism,  which  thus 
appeals  to  the  conscience  of  every  individual ;  for  there  is  no  one 
without  a  burden  of  sin  to  cast  upon  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  alone 
can  make  atonement  and  secure  our  salvation. 

Thus  Christ's  baptism  is  a  protest  against  the  unbelief  of  the 
present  day, — a  protest  against  all  who  deny  the  atonement,  and  by 
all  kinds  of  specious  arguments  undermine  the  sure  foundation 
of  our  salvation. 

At  His  baptism  our  Lord  was  consecrated  to  perform  His  task 
of  reconciliation,  receiving  this  consecration  when  His  heavenly 
Father  acknowledged  His  sonship.  He  was  called  the  Son  in 
order  to  be  consecrated  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  to  obtain  for  us 
the  right  to  be  regarded  as  God's  children,  whereas  we  were  pre- 
viously prodigals  who  had  strayed  from  the  fold. 

The  public  recognition  of  our  Lord  by  His  heavenly  Father  was 
intended  to  strengthen  Him  against  the  temptations  awaiting  Him, 
— temptations  in  the  wilderness,  temptations  throughout  His  life, 
and  the  supreme  temptation  encountered  at  His  Passion  and  Death. 
He  received  His  consecration  when  the  Holy  Spirit  descended  upon 
Him,  the  same  Spirit  that  once  at  the  Creation  hovered  over  the 
waters,  breathing  into  matter  the  breath  of  life.     That  same  Spirit 


92  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

of  life,  whose  property  it  is  always  to  impart  life,  descended  upon 
Christ,  not  to  bestow  on  Him  a  life  that  He  did  not  already  possess, 
but  to  strengthen  His  life,  and  give  Him  the  peculiar  vital  force 
necessary  for  Him  to  have,  if  He  was  to  triumph  over  death,  and 
accomplish  our  salvation,  His  new  creation. 


FIRST  SUNDAY  IN  LENT  93 

♦ 

FIRST    SUNDAY    IN    LENT 
JOY 

"Rejoice  in  this,  that  your  names  are  written  in  heaven." — Luke  x,  20. 

"He  said  to  the  woman :  Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  safe,  go  in  peace." — 
Luke  vii,  50. 

The  season  of  Lent  reminds  us  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  en- 
dured for  our  sins,  and  so  it  suggests  penance  and  sorrow  for  sin. 
Rightly  considered,  however,  the  sorrow  should  not  be  such  as  to 
exclude  joy.  Our  Lord  Himself  said:  "When  you  fast,  be  not  as 
the  hypocrites,  sad  .  .  .  but  .  .  .  anoint  thy  head  and  wash  thy 
face"  (Matth.  vi,  16,  17).  He  certainly  did  not  intend  either  the 
sorrow  or  the  joy  to  be  hypocritical,  but  He  did  not  wish  Chris- 
tians to  repress,  in  a  forced  and  unnatural  manner,  the  joy  that 
dwells  permanently  in  their  hearts.  Joy  is  the  keynote  of  to-day's 
Gospel :  "Rejoice  in  this,  that  your  names  are  written  in  heaven." 
This  joy  is  often  felt  in  the  midst  of  pain  and  suffering;  it  is  like 
a  smile  amidst  tears. 

I.  Our  Lord  says:  "I  saw  satan  like  lightning  falling  from 
heavt^n."  These  words  are  a  source  of  joy,  for  satan's  fall  typi- 
fies the  eventual  conquest  of  evil,  and  foreshadows  the  future  king- 
dom of  God,  where  there  will  be  no  trace  of  wickedness  and  sin. 
The  modern  view  of  life  is  quite  different,  and  suggests  other  pros- 
pects. It  understands  nothing  of  life  or  of  death,  since  it  regards 
all  our  existence  as  a  mystery,  incapable  of  explanation,  and  suicide 
as  the  only  means  of  escape.  Men  are  tossed  to  and  fro,  falling 
without  resistance  into  sin  after  sin,  and  living  in  a  state  of  misery 


94  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

that  is  onl3f  occasionally  interrupted  by  a  period  of  sensual  enjoy- 
ment. Such  a  life  is  not  worth  living,  and  death  is  a  plunge  into 
the  unknowT. 

Modern  unbelief  looks  forward  to  nothing  but  complete  and  in- 
terminable darkness,  whereas  Christianity  leads  us  on  into  full 
and  everlasting  light.  This  prospect  affords  us  much  comfort,  es- 
pecially when  our  way  seems  long  and  dreary.  It  is  hard  to  under- 
stand how  any  one  can  be  contented  with  the  dull  and  joyless 
theories  of  unbelievers,  who  can  discover  no  meaning  in  life.  If 
life  has  any  meaning,  its  aim  must  be  light  rather  than  darkness, 
and  the  light  must  triumph  over  the  darkness,  not  the  darkness 
over  the  light.  Our  own  hearts  tell  us  that  this  must  be  so,  and 
Christ's  assurance  is  another  source  of  joy  and  consolation. 

But  is  the  world  mistaken  when  it  declares  that  Christians  stake 
everything  upon  the  future  and  eternity,  and  that  they  seek  con- 
solation in  this  thought  and  care  nothing  for  the  world,  which  they 
regard  as  a  place  of  misery?  Such  a  theory  is  not  quite  accurate. 
Our  Lord  did  indeed  say  that  His  followers  would  encounter  ser- 
pents and  scorpions  and  powerful  enemies,  but  at  the  same  time 
He  assured  them  that  nothing  should  harm  them. 

It  is  the  constant  experience  of  those  who  believe  in  Him  that 
He  is  true  to  His  promises,  and  this  is  a  source  of  much  joy  to 
them  here  on  earth.  The  viper  that  attacked  St.  Paul  at  Malta  did 
not  injure  him  (Acts  xxviii,  3-7).  When  St.  Peter  was  in  prison, 
an  angel  came  to  break  his  chains  and  set  him  free.  A  spirit  of 
satan  was  permitted  to  buffet  St.  Paul,  but  by  increasing  his 
humility,  the  result  was  beneficial  (2  Cor.  xii,  7).  St.  Theresa  suf- 
fered much,  but  yet  she  asked  to  die  rather  than  be  free  from  suf- 
fering; many  holy  martyrs  have  sung  hymns  of  praise  in  prison 
and  at  the  stake;  in  short,  in  every  age,  the  servants  of  God  have 


FIRST  SUNDAY  IN  LENT  95 

often,  like  Ezechiel,  found  themselves  to  be  amidst  scorpions,  when 
they  fancied  that  they  were  surrounded  by  friends.  That  they 
should  be  grieved  is  only  natural,  but  the  venom  of  wickedness  and 
slander  was  powerless  to  hurt  them,  and  so  they  were  constrained 
to  rejoice  and  give  thanks,  not  only  in  the  midst  and  in  spite  of  trib- 
ulations, but  actually  on  account  of  them. 

The  world  is  utterly  unable  to  understand  this,  for  it  never  ex- 
periences anything  of  the  kind,  and  so  it  speaks  of  fanaticism  and 
madness  when  any  jne  is  glad  of  misfortune,  or  gives  thanks  for 
sickness,  poverty,  insults  and  humiliations,  or  even  for  hatred  and 
persecution  on  the  part  of  those  who  seemed  to  be  friends  and 
brethren.  How  can  people  be  glad,  when  they  have  far  more  rea- 
son to  exclaim  like  David:  "Wo  is  me,  that  my  sojourning  is  pro- 
longed; I  have  dwelt  with  the  inhabitants  of  Cedar;  my  soul  hath 
been  long  a  sojourner.  With  them  that  hated  peace  I  was  peaceable ; 
when  I  spoke  to  them  they  fought  against  me  without  cause" 
(Ps.  cxix,  5,  6).  How  is  thankfulness  possible  for  one  who  might 
say  with  the  psalmist :  "Friend  and  neighbor  thou  hast  put  far  from 
me,  and  my  acquaintance,  because  of  misery"  (Ps.  Ixxxvii,  19). 

H.  The  world  cannot  understand  how  suffering  can  give  rise 
to  joy,  but  those  who  comprehend  It  would  not  on  any  account  be  de- 
prived of  their  pain.  These  are  true  Christians  who  know  that  they 
have  a  God,  at  once  merciful  and  just; — merciful  enough  to  forgive 
His  children  their  sins,  and  not  condemn  them  to  everlasting  death, 
but  also  bound  in  justice  to  inflict  some  temporal  punishment  upon 
them.  The  longer  and  more  severe  this  punishment  is,  the  greater 
is  their  hope  of  being  admitted  without  further  delay  to  the  joy 
of  their  Lord.  This  hope  fills  them  with  joy  and  thankfulness  in 
spite  of  their  tribulations,  and,  like  St.  Paul,  they  glory  in  them, 
"knowing  that  tribulation  worketh  patience,  and  patience  trial,  and 


9^  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

trial  hope,  and  hope  confoundeth  not"  (Rom.  v,  3-5).  Patience, 
trial  and  hope  are  the  salutary  fruits  of  tribulation,  which  thus  be- 
comes actually  a  reason  for  rejoicing. 

III.  There  is  still  another  sense  in  whTch  suffering  may  be 
called  a  source  of  joy  to  the  servants  of  Christ.  Have  you  ever 
meditated  on  that  glorious  passage  in  St.  Paul's  epistle  to  the 
Colossians  (i,  24),  where  he  says:  "I  now  rejoice  in  my  sufferings 
for  you,  and  fill  up  those  things  that  are  wanting  of  the  sufferings 
of  Christ,  in  my  flesh,  for  His  body,  which  is  the  Church,  whereof 
I  am  made  a  minister!"  The  sufferings  of  Christ's  servants  are 
beneficial  not  only  to  themselves,  but  also  to  others,  and  to  the 
Church  and  the  whole  cause  of  Christ,  for  which  they  labor. 

This  is  perhaps  the  greatest  praise  that  can  be  given  to  suf- 
fering as  a  source  of  joy.  When  we  suffer  for  any  cause,  we 
benefit  that  cause ;  and  when  we  suffer  for  the  Church  of  Christ,  we 
benefit  that  Church.  Surely  everyone  who  suffers  in  so  good  a 
cause  will  rouse  himself,  pluck  up  fresh  courage  and,  with  renewed 
faith,  confidence  and  thankfulness  for  his  affliction,  continue  his 
labors,  instead  of  complaining  and  lamenting  with  the  children  of 
this  world.  We  often  hear  that  a  man's  readiness  to  suffer  for  the 
cause  that  he  has  in  hand  is  a  recommendation  of  that  cause;  but 
perhaps  we  have  never  realized  the  full  significance  of  this  saying, 
according  to  the  word  of  God. 

IV.  We  must,  however,  guard  against  misunderstanding.  It 
is  with  shame,  rather  than  triumph,  that  we  ought  to  speak  of 
suffering  as  a  source  of  joy  and  strength.  It  is  undoubtedly  the 
source  of  both,  and  an  upright  character  is  developed  by  struggles 
with  obstacles  of  every  kind,  not  by  a  life  of  ease  and  luxury. 
Why  then  ought  we  to  be  ashamed  to  speak  of  the  benefits  of 
tribulation?     Because   we   so   rarely  experience  them,  and  derive 


FIRST  SUNDAY  IN  LENT  97 

from  sorrow  so  little  joy,  hope  and  courage.  Here  and  there  per- 
haps we  may  feel  a  touch  of  happiness  when  our  plans  are  thwarted, 
and  then  our  joy  is  so  great  as  to  compensate  us  for  many  weary 
hours  of  anxiety.  But  we  might  experience  far  more  joy,  strength, 
encouragement  and  hope,  if  only  we  were  more  ready  to  suffer. 
Let  us  acknowledge  with  shame  that  this  is  the  truth. 

All  Christ's  followers  should  be  glad  that  their  names  are  written 
in  heaven,  in  the  book  of  life,  and  should  "glory  in  the  hope  of  the 
glory  of  the  sons  of  God"  (Rom.  v,  2).  "The  sufferings  of  this 
time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  to  come,  that 
shall  be  revealed  to  us"  (Rom.  viii,  18).  May  this  magnificent 
thought  encourage  us  in  all  our  trials,  and  then  in  both  joy  and 
sorrow  we  shall  ever  draw  nearer  to  God,  until  at  last  the  shadows 
and  darkness  of  this  life  pass  away  and  give  place  to  the  light 
that  has  no  ending. 

Therefore  with  St.  Paul  I  call  upon  all  who  suffer  in  Christ  to 
rejoice  in  the  Lord  always,  in  prosperity  and  in  adversity,  in  life 
and  in  death,  "again  I  say,  rejoice"  (Phil,  iv,  4). 


98  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SECOND    SUNDAY    IN    LENT 
GRATITUDE   FOR  THE    FORGIVENESS   OF   SIN 

"He  said  to  the  woman :'  Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  safe,  go  in  peace." — 
Luke  vii,  50. 

The  woman  of  whom  we  read  in  to-day's  Gospel  must  have  had 
some  very  strong  motive  for  acting  as  she  did,  for  her  behavior 
attracted  much  attention.  In  the  house  of  a  wealthy  man  a  ban- 
quet was  being  served,  when  a  woman  made  her  Vv^ay  to  the  room 
and  even  to  the  table.  Without  a  word  of  excuse  or  apology  to 
the  host,  she  approached  one  of  the  guests,  and  began  to  show 
him  peculiar  honor  by  anointing  his  feet.  Neither  her  rank  nor 
her  circumstances  seemed  to  justify  her  proceeding;  she  was  simply 
an  intruder,  known  in  the  town  as  a  sinner,  and  she  risked  being 
unceremoniously  turned  out  of  the  house.  She  knew  this  well 
enough,  but  nothing  could  prevent  her  from  honoring  this  partic- 
ular guest.     Must  she  not  have  had  strong  reasons  for  doing  so? 

Are  we  Christians  all  equally  eager  to  come  to  Christ?  I  do  not 
ask  whether  we  are  ready  to  suffer  the  indignity  of  being  treated 
like  a  dog,  and  driven  out,  but  only  whether  we  are  willing  to 
bear  a  contemptuous  remark  or  a  scornful  smile,  when  we  have  an 
opportunity  of  publicly  serving  or  honoring  our  Lord?  Or  do  we 
shrink  back,  and  prefer  to  secure  the  world's  friendship,  instead  of 
exposing  ourselves  to  its  ridicule? 

The  woman  who  came  to  our  Saviour  must  have  had  a  strong 
motive  for  doing  what  was  not  only  unusual,  but  actually  humil- 
iating. Her  emotion  caused  her  to  weep  as  she  knelt  at  our  Lord's 
feet,  and,  having  no  cloth  at  hand  to  wipe  away  the  tears,  she 


SECO.WD  SUNDAY  IN  LENT 


99 


unloosened  her  hair,  and  dried  His  feet  with  it.  It  was  consid- 
ered a  great  disgrace  for  a  Jewish  woman  to  appear  in  public  with 
her  hair  loose.  One  needs  to  have  a  strong  will  and  ardent  love, 
if  one  is  to  do  a  thing  regarded  by  the  world  as  shameful,  although 
it  may  be  innocent  enough  in  itself.  The  woman  possessed  the  will 
and  the  love  that  were  necessary.    Do  we  possess  them,  also  ? 

St.  Mark,  too,  relates  a  similar  occurrence  and  say  that  the  oint- 
ment which  the  woman  poured  on  our  Saviour's  head  was  worth 
300  pence,  or  about  50  dollars.  The  value  of  money  was  then  much 
greater  than  it  is  now,  so  we  can  form  some  idea  of  the  sum  spent 
upon  showing  outward  honor  to  our  Lord;  it  was  a  display  of 
what  we  may  call  the  luxury  of  love,  piety  and  adoration.  A  few 
mean-spirited  spectators  termed  it  a  foolish  waste  of  money,  but  St. 
Mark  tells  us  that  Jesus  rebuked  them,  and  said,  "She  hath  wrought 
a  good  work  upon  me."  Are  we  willing  to  make  sacrifices  for  the 
sake  of  the  worship  and  house  of  God?  Things  might  be  worse 
than  they  are  in  our  churches,  but  they  might  be  and  ought  to  be 
better;  and  the  same  complaint  is  still  heard,  that  it  is  a  waste  of 
money,  which  could  be  spent  better  in  some  other  way.  Yet, — 
and  this  is  conclusive — Jesus  sanctions  the  expenditure.  The 
woman  made  an  extraordinary  sacrifice  in  order  to  testify  her  love 
and  respect  for  Jesus,  but  we  act  often  as  if  we  were  quite  indif- 
ferent; are  we  not  guilty  of  a  want  of  love? 

II.  Would  it  not  be  well  if  we  could  display  the  same  heroic, 
ardent  love?  Every  Christian  ought  at  least  to  wish  to  do  so,  and 
the  Gospel  teaches  us  how  to  attain  to  it.  It  must  be  by  the  same 
means  as  the  debtor,  whose  vast  debt  was  remitted,  and  the  woman 
in  to-day's  Gospel.  She  loved  our  Lord  most  fervently  because  He 
had  visited  her  with  His  grace,  and  so  she  had  come  to  Him.  She 
believed  in  Him  as  the  Son  of  God,  she  confessed  her  sins  to  Hira 


100         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

and  received  from  His  lips  the  assurance  that  she  was  forgiven. 
She  had  no  doubt  as  to  her  sins  and  their  forgiveness ;  her  love  was 
the  outpouring  of  her  gratitude  for  Christ's  Divine  compassion  in 
stooping  to  pardon  her,  and  it  became  to  her  the  source  of  fresh 
grace. 

We  possess  similar  means  of  obtaining  forgiveness  in  the  Sacra- 
ment of  Penance;  and  if  nevertheless  there  is  in  many  cases  very 
little  joy  in  the  Lord,  very  little  grateful  love,  and  very  little  readi- 
ness to  bear  and  sacrifice  anything  for  Him,  something  must  be  out 
of  order,  either  with  our  acknowledgment  of  guilt,  or  with  our 
reception  of  pardon,  or  perhaps  with  both. 

Is  something  wrong  with  our  acknowledgment  of  sin?  The 
woman  in  the  Gospel  saw  her  sins  plainly,  and  was  sorry  for  them. 
If  we  are  lacking  in  clear  perception  of  and  true  contrition  for  the 
actual  sins  that  we  have  committed,  and  content  ourselves  with  a 
vague  and  general  confession  of  guilt, — if  we  regret  in  a  general 
way  the  sinfulness  of  the  human  race,  though  we  may  depict  it  in 
the  gloomiest  colors,  our  recognition  of  sin  remains  something  im- 
personal, which  affects  us  but  slightly,  and  does  not  rouse  us  to 
earnest,  personal  contrition. 

Is  something  wrong  with  our  reception  of  forgiveness?  The 
woman  was  perfectly  convinced  that  Christ  had  come  to  her  and 
said:  "Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,"  so  that  thus  she  had  received 
from  Him  pardon  of  all  her  sin^.  It  does  no  good  to  investigate 
matters  for  oneself,  and  to  test  the  degree  of  one's  emotions,  so  as 
to  find  out  whether  one  may  really  expect  pardon  or  not;  it  is 
far  better  to  go  straight  to  our  Lord,  to  hear  His  word  and  receive 
His  forgiveness.  It  is  the  happy  privilege  of  the  children  of  holy 
Church  to  be  free  to  do  this;  and  then  our  Lord  comes  to  us, 
as  He  came  to  the  penitent  woman.     He  has  given  His  servants 


SECOND  SUNDAY  IN  LENT  lOl 

authority  to  forgive  sins  in  His  name,  and  no  one  else  possesses 
this  power.  Only  believe  with  simple  faith  what  the  words  of 
Absolution  mean,  and  then  your  soul  will  be  filled  with  light  and 
joy.  Come  to  the  throne  of  grace,  the  confessional,  standing  in 
God's  house;  bend  your  knees  and  humbly  confess  the  sins  that 
you  have  committed,  and  the  more  clear  and  certain  the  pardon 
that  you  receive  in  our  Lord's  own  words,  the  greater  will  be  its 
effect  on  your  soul,  and  you  will  begin  to  love  Christ,  as  the  sinful 
woman  loved  Him,  and,  like  her,  you  will  feel  impelled  to  offer 
Him  the  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  all  the  days  of  your  life. 


102         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

THIRD    SUNDAY    IN    LENT 

"WHOSOEVER   COMMITTETH    SIN,    IS   THE    SERVANT 

OF    SIN" 

"Jesus  answereth  them :  Amen,  amen,  I  say  unto  you,  that  whosoever  com- 
mitteth  sin,  is  the  servant  of  sin.  Now  the  servant  abideth  not  in  the  house 
forever,  but  the  son  abideth  forever.  If,  therefore,  the  son  shall  make  you 
free,  you  shall  be  free  indeed." — John  x,  34-36. 

I.  The  Bondage  of  Sin. — It  would  not  be  so  difficult  to  con- 
vince the  world  of  sin  (John  xvi,  8),  if  it  perceived  itself  to  be  in 
bondage,  but  men  are  never  tired  of  protesting  that  they  are  free. 
We  are,  of  course,  speaking  of  bondage  and  freedom  in  the  spir- 
itual, not  in  the  worldly  sense,  and  in  this  sense  a  life  of  sin  is  a 
life  of  bondage.  The  world  fancies  that  it  is  free,  and  boasts  of 
its  freedom  of  thought,  speech  and  action.  I  suppose  that  a  man 
chained  to  a  stake  might  also  boast  of  his  freedom  to  go  as  far  as 
his  chain  allows;  and  those  who  talk  of  freedom  in  a  state  of  sin 
act  in  very  much  the  same  way.  We  hear  of  freedom  of  thought, 
but  when  a  man's  whole  intellectual  life  is  defiled  by  sin,  he  is  the 
slave  of  an  evil  spirit.  What  about  freedom  of  speech?  If  a  man 
takes  pleasure  in  giving  utterance  to  the  suggestions  of  egotism, 
vanity  and  sensuality,  he  is  a  slave  to  evil.  Does  he  enjoy  freedom 
of  action?  No;  if  all  that  he  does  is  prompted  by  the  same  spirit 
as  are  his  thoughts  and  words,  he  is  in  bondage  to  wickedness. 
There  is  a  chain  stronger  than  steel,  and  many  a  slave  has  tried  in 
vain  to  break  it,  and  has  desisted  at  last,  acknowledging  it  to  be  too 
strong.  This  is  the  chain  of  self-love ;  generous  souls  are  willing  to 
admit  that  self  love  is  a  sin,  disfiguring  and  debasing  the  heart. 
Love  imparts  to  life  all  its  dignity,  nobility  and  beauty,  and  makes 


THIRD  SUNDAY  IN  LENT  103 

it  happy;  whereas  self-love  is  a  sort  of  magic  circle,  beyond  which 
purely  natural  life  cannot  go.  You  may  succeed  in  ridding  your- 
self of  some  kinds  of  bonds,  but  by  your  own  unaided  efforts  you 
will  never  break  the  fetters  of  self-love. 

Slavery  to  sin  increases  in  severity,  and  experience  teaches  us 
that  a  besetting  sin  obtains  an  ever  greater  hold  upon  its  victim. 
When  once  free  rein  is  given  to  it,  the  task  of  checking  it  becomes 
more  and  more  difficult,  and  the  sinful  action,  that  at  first  arouses 
feelings  of  anxious  fear,  is  finally  performed  with  perfect  indif- 
ference. I  once  heard  a  friend  remonstrating  with  a  drunkard, 
who  answered:  "It  is  all  of  no  use."  "Why?"  "Because  I  do  not 
wish  to  break  myself  of  the  habit."  "You  do  not  wish  to  break 
yourself  of  it;  why  not?"  "Because  I  am  not  able  to  use  my  will." 
Does  not  this  remark  reveal  the  terrible  bondage  of  sin? 

Servitude  to  sin  may  reveal  itself  outwardly.  The  faces  of  some 
men  bear  so  unmistakably  the  stamp  of  pride,  arrogance  and  pas- 
sion, that  one  feels  impelled  to  exclaim:  "No  clean-minded  person 
could  possibly  look  like  that!" 

No  one  can  be  a  slave  to  sin  without  being  also  a  slave  to  the 
devil,  for  he  is  the  prince  of  this  world,  a  liar  and  the  father  of 
lies.  He  acquires  his  slaves  by  means  of  falsehood ;  by  his  lies  he 
caused  the  ancestors  of  our  race  to  fall  into  sin;  he  lied  when  he 
tempted  Jesus  Christ  in  the  wilderness,  and  he  still  lies  when  he 
tempts  us,  for  he  offers  us  pleasures  that  experience  proves  worth- 
less. He  scores  his  greatest  success  when  he  so  far  misleads  men 
as  to  make  them  deceive  themselves,  and  believe  that  thy  are  free, 
when  they  are  really  his  slaves. 

n.  The  Truth  Shall  Make  You  Free. — Through  falsehood  we 
become  slaves,  and  nothing  but  the  truth  can  make  us  free,  as  Christ 
tells  us  in  to-day's  Gospel.    What  truth  is  this?    The  truth  regard- 


104         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

ing  sin  and  grace.  There  is  no  real  freedom  as  long  as  self-decep- 
tion lasts,  with  its  spurious  liberty.  It  behooves  us  to  see  what  we 
are  in  the  light  of  truth,  and  we  shall  have  to  acknowledge  that 
we  are  slaves  to  self-love,  in  a  bondage  that  renders  us  guilty  in 
God's  sight,  whether  our  self-love  appears  in  all  its  naked  ugliness, 
or  is  veiled  under  the  semblance  of  refinement.  The  more  fully 
we  recognize  our  guilt,  the  greater  is  our  prospect  of  deliverance. 
Every  step  into  the  hell  of  self-knowledge  is  equivalent  to  ten  steps 
in  the  direction  of  the  paradise  of  grace. 

A  true  penitent,  who  cries  from  the  depths  of  his  soul :  "My  fault, 
my  fault,  my  most  grievous  fault,"  often  needs  only  to  be  reminded 
of  the  Man  of  Sorrows,  of  whom  it  was  written :  "He  was  wounded 
for  our  iniquities,  and  bruised  for  our  sins;  the  chastisement  of 
our  peace  was  upon  Him."  One  glance  at  our  Lord  is  often  enough 
to  secure  peace,  healing  through  His  wounds,  and  relief  from  the 
crushing  weight  of  sin.  A  true  penitent  finds  release  and  safety 
in  the  Sacrament  of  Penance,  realizing  that  his  Saviour  is  ready 
to  utter  the  words  of  Absolution,  and  to  deliver  him  from  the  guilt 
of  punishment  of  sin,  since  He,  the  Lamb  of  God,  has  Himself 
made  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world. 

Yet  it  is  not  enough  to  be  delivered  from  the  guilt  and  punish- 
ment of  sin ;  we  need  also  to  be  released  from  its  power,  as  other- 
wise we  shall  fall  back  into  our  former  state  of  slavery.  This 
release  can  be  efiFected  only  by  the  force  of  truth,  the  same  truth 
of  Christianity.  If  we  know  that  a  life  of  self-love  is  a  life  of 
slavery,  we  know,  too,  that  only  a  life  of  love  is  a  life  of  freedom. 
It  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  break  the  fetters  of  sin  and  live 
for  God,  unless  God  had  given  us  some  great  gift  arousing  our 
gratitude  and  love  for  Him.  This  great  gift  is  the  salvation  pro- 
cured for  us  by  Jesus  Christ,  and,  if  we  perceive  this  truth  clearly, 


THIRD  SUNDAY  IN  LENT  105 

we  shall  be  filled  with  thankfulness  and  love,  and  be  moved  to 
deny  ourselves  and  obey  God.  Our  Lord  states  in  to-day's  Gospel 
the  condition  that  He  has  laid  down :  "If  you  continue  in  My 
word" — His  word  is  truth;  He  is  Himself  the  way.  the  truth  and 
the  life.  Our  freedom  is  not  yet  perfect;  we  can  only  hope  to  enjoy 
perfect  freedom  hereafter.  Even  St.  Paul  complains:  "I  do  not 
that  good  which  I  will,  but  the  evil  which  I  hate,  that  I  do."  "Un- 
happy man  that  I  am!  Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of 
this  death?"  (Rom.  vii,  15,  24). 

In  our  text  we  are  told:  "If  the  Son  shall  make  you  free,  you 
shall  be  free  indeed."  We  shall  not  enjoy  absolute  liberty  until 
we  have  laid  aside  what  St.  Paul  calls  the  body  of  this  death,  and 
see  God,  who  is  truth  itself,  face  to  face,  and  are  like  Him  (i  John, 
iii,  2).  Then  and  not  until  then  we  shall  cease  to  dread  deception 
and  error;  meanwhile  it  behooves  us  to  work  out  our  salvation  with 
fear  and  trembling,  and  to  watch  and  pray,  so  that  no  man  may 
rob  us  of  our  crown. 


I06         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

FOURTH  SUNDAY  IN  LENT 
THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Jesus  answered  them  and  said :  Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  you  seek  me, 
not  because  you  have  seen  miracles,  but  because  you  did  eat  of  the  loaves, 
and  were  filled" — ^John  vi,  26. 

After  our  Lord  had  fed  the  five  thousand  in  the  wilderness,  the 
people  displayed  great  enthusiasm  and  said:  "This  is  of  a  truth 
the  prophet  that  is  to  come  into  the  world."  They  even  talked  of 
making  Him  king,  intending  to  use  force,  in  case  of  His  resistance, 
but  Jesus  withdrew  Himself  and  fled  alone  to  the  mountains,  where 
He  passed  the  night.  The  next  day  the  excited  multitude  came 
to  look  for  Him,  for  Jesus  was  then  at  the  height  of  His  popu- 
larity. He  knew  quite  well  what  had  kindled  all  this  enthusiasm: 
"You  seek  me,"  He  said,  "because  you  did  eat  of  the  loaves  and 
were  filled,"  This  was  the  sort  of  king  whom  they  desired  to  have, 
one  who  could  give  them  all  that  they  needed  for  their  life  in 
this  world. 

I.  Materialism.  Was  there  anything  surprising  in  their  desire? 
Certainly  not;  many  people  in  every  age  never  give  a  thought  to 
anything  beyond  this  world.  Worldliness  displays  itself,  however, 
under  various  forms.  Some  seriously  maintain  that  the  world  alone 
has  any  real  existence,  and  that  all  the  teaching  of  Christianity  is 
nonsense,  because  there  is  no  God ;  man  does  not,  they  say,  possess 
an  immortal  soul,  and  so  it  is  absurd  to  talk  about  life  after  death. 
Why,  they  ask,  should  we  worry  about  God,  the  soul  or  a  future 
life?    We  are  too  sensible  to  trouble  about  mere  figments  of  the 


FOURTH    SUNDAY   IN    LENT  107 

imagination;  we  think  only  of  realities,  of  what  we  actually  see, 
hear  and  taste.  We  may  have  to  die  to-morrow,  and  then  all 
will  be  over;  we  shall  go  out,  and  cease  to  exist,  like  the  flame  of  a 
candle  that  is  blown  out.  The  moral  deduced  from  this  theory  is : 
Let  us  eat  of  the  bread  and  be  filled;  then  we  shall  be  contented, 
especially  if  we  can  eat,  drink  and  sleep  in  comfort,  and  have  all 
that  conduces  to  our  ease  and  enjoyment. 

This  is  the  lowest  form  of  worldliness,  that  desires  an  existence 
not  much  above  that  of  a  cat  or  a  dog,  content  to  bask  before  a 
warm  fire,  or  perhaps  of  a  cow,  chewing  the  cud  after  she  has  eaten 
her  fill  in  a  grassy  meadow.  The  animals  too  might  say :  "We  have 
eaten  and  are  filled,  and  therefore  we  are  happy."  Just  at  the 
present  time  this  form  of  worldliness  is  not  fashionable,  being  re- 
garded by  some  as  too  coarse,  by  others  as  too  daring  in  its  as- 
sertions regarding  God,  the  soul,  and  the  future  life. 

II.  Positivism.  It  is  considered  more  correct  to  say:  "We  are 
too  modest  to  arrive  at  any  definite  conclusion.  Your  conception 
of  God  is  exalted,  and  we  respect  it.  Your  idea  of  the  soul  is 
very  beautiful,  and  we  like  to  picture  it  as  a  sort  of  butterfly  with 
gorgeous  wings,  hovering  above  the  earth.  The  theory  of  there 
being  a  life  after  death  appeals  to  us  very  much,  especially  if  we 
may  assume  that  the  soul  will  be  happy,  that  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  punishment  for  sin,  and  that  God  is  so  merciful  that  He  bestows 
happiness  indiscriminately  upon  all  men.  Still,"  they  argue,  "we 
know  nothing  at  all  on  these  subjects;  all  your  theories  are  dreams 
and  fancies.  There  may  be  some  truth  in  them,  but  it  is  equally 
possible  that  there  is  none.  The  conclusion  is  therefore  almost 
identical  with  that  at  which  materialists  arrive:  There  is  no  object 
in  living  for  God  or  in  thinking  about  the  soul,  since  we  know 
nothing  about  them,  and  it  is  better  to  abide  by  what  is  certain. 


io8         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

i.  e.  by  this  world,  and  not  to  trouble  about  much  else.  Let  us 
follow  our  calling,  play  our  part  in  society,  accept  temporal  advan- 
tages and  pleasures  when  they  fall  to  our  lot,  and  do  our  best  to 
live  as  honorable  and  upright  men,  until  the  time  comes  for  us 
to  pass  into  the  great  All  or  the  great  Nothing,  to  surrender  our 
souls  to  God,  perhaps,  but  we  do  not  know."  This  is  a  fashionable 
form  of  worldliness,  that  proves  very  attractive  to  many  people. 

///.  Indifference.  Our  Lord's  followers  were  not  worldly  in  the 
sense  that  we  have  been  discussing.  They  believed  thoroughly  in 
God,  the  soul,  and  life  after  death.  To  this  extent  no  fault  could 
be  found  with  them;  they  were  quite  orthodox  in  their  faith.  But 
this  faith  had  no  bearing  upon  their  life;  they  believed  in  heaven, 
but  lived  for  this  world;  they  cared  but  little  for  the  true  bread 
from  heaven,  that  Jesus  offered  them,  and  fixed  all  their  desires 
on  the  loaves  with  which  he  could  feed  them  in  the  wilderness. 
Theirs  was  the  worldliness  of  indifference;  and  there  are  thousands 
resembling  them  at  the  present  day ;  there  are  thousands  who  accept 
all  the  truths  of  Christianity,  but  they  never  dream  of  living  in 
accordance  with  these  truths,  or,  if  ever  the  idea  occurs  to  them, 
it  is  when  something  happens  to  rouse  their  emotions,  and  has  no 
permanence.  Yet  there  are  worse  forms  of  worldliness  than  in- 
difference. 

IV.  Hypocrisy.  At  the  time  of  our  Lord  there  were  many  people 
who  were  worldly,  although  to  some  extent  they  lived  in  accord- 
ance with  their  religious  opinions.  Unless  we  honestly  try  to  live 
for  God,  and  to  save  our  souls,  all  the  zeal  that  we  display  is 
hypocritical.  There  is  no  worse  form  of  worldliness  than  that  of 
the  hypocrite,  and  nothing  is  more  hateful  to  God  than  hypocrisy, 
nor  is  anything  more  dangerous  to  ourselves  since  this  kind  of 
worldliness  not  only  looks  like  fear  of  the  Lord,  but  often  causes 


FOURTH   SUNDAY   IN   LENT  109 

self-deception,  so  that  we  are  apt  to  believe  ourselves  to  be  indeed 
God's  servants. 

V.  Conclusion.  What  opinion  ought  we  to  express  regarding 
all  these  varieties  of  worldliness?  We  must  acknowledge  that  none 
of  them  "endureth  unto  life  everlasting."  Our  Lord  bids  us  labor 
for  the  meat  which  endureth,  but  the  world  with  all  its  pleasures 
and  honors  cannot  give  us  everlasting  life;  and  hence  it  cannot 
satisfy  us.  But  how  do  we  know  that  we  are  destined  to  live  for 
ever?  Christ,  His  Apostles  and  His  Church,  by  the  mouth  of  her 
priests,  doctors  and  saints,  all  assure  us  that  this  is  so ;  but,  besides 
these,  our  own  consciousness  bears  testimony  to  our  immortality. 
If  hitherto  you  have  refused  to  accept  the  evidence  of  your  own 
soul,  you  will  with  terror  realize  its  truth,  when  misfortune  and 
death  overtake  you. 

The  meat  which  endureth  unto  life  everlasting  comes  from 
heaven,  and  not  from  earth.  Jesus  tells  us  what  it  is:  "I  am  the 
bread  of  life  which  cometh  down  from  heaven.  Your  fathers  did 
eat  manna  in  the  desert,  and  are  dead  ...  if  any  man  eat  of 
this  bread,  he  shall  live  for  ever."  If  you  are  in  earnest  about  your 
faith  and  your  desire  to  live  for  God,  you  will  learn  by  experi- 
ence how  completely  this  bread  can  satisfy  all  the  cravings  of  your 
soul.  Countless  Saints  who  have  served  God  faithfully  have  ex- 
perienced its  efficacy;  let  us,  too,  pray  like  the  Jews,  though  in  an- 
other sense  and  with  more  ardent  longing:  "Lord,  give  us  always 
this  bread." 


no  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

PASSION  SUNDAY 
VIA  DOLOROSA 

"And  he  said  to  them :  Doubtless  you  will  say  to  me  this  similitude : 
Physician,  heal  thyself.  As  great  things  as  we  have  heard  done  in  Caphar- 
naum,  do  also  here  in  thy  own  country." — Luke  iv,  23. 

There  is  in  Jerusalem  a  street  known  as  the  Via  dolorosa,  be- 
cause Jesus  Christ  is  believed  to  have  carried  His  cross  along  it, 
on  His  way  from  Pilate's  house  to  Golgotha.  During  Passiontide 
the  Church  bids  us  remember  particularly  the  Passion  and  Death 
of  our  Lord;  but  His  whole  life  on  earth  was  a  Via  dolorosa,  a  path 
of  suffering.  It  was  through  pain  that  God  brought  Him  to  glory. 
"It  became  Him,  for  whom  are  all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all 
things,  who  had  brought  many  children  into  glory,  to  perfect  the 
author  of  their  salvation,  by  His  Passion"  (Hebr  ii,  10).  It  is 
most  important  therefore  for  us  and  all  who  are  friends  of  Christ 
to  remember  that  we  must  follow  Him  on  the  path  of  suffering, 
so  that  if  we  suffer  with  Him,  we  may  be  also  glorified  with  Him 
(Rom.  viii,  17).  This  is  the  condition  upon  which  depends  our 
being  glorified  with  Christ;  we  too  must  tread  the  Via  dolorosa, 
since  otherwise  we  cannot  attain  to  glory. 

I.  The  Jews  were  annoyed  because  Jesus  worked  no  miracles  in 
Nazareth,  where  His  home  was  situated,  and  yet  did  many  wonder- 
ful works  at  Caphamaum  and  elsewhere.  Hence  in  to-day's  Gospel 
we  read  that  He  exclaimed:  "You  will  say  to  me  ...  as  great 
things  as  we  have  heard  done  in  Capharnaum,  do  also  here  in  thy 
own  country."  He  went  on  to  remind  the  Jews  of  facts  recorded  in 
the  Old  Testament.  When  there  was  a  terrible  famine  in  Israel, 
God  sent  His  prophet  to  a  pagan,  not  to  an  Israelite  woman,  that 


PASSION  SUNDAY  in 

she  might  save  him.  And  although  there  were  many  lepers  in  Israel 
in  the  time  of  Eliseus,  none  of  them  was  cleansed,  but  only  Naaman 
the  Syrian. 

Does  God  act  blindly  and  arbitrarily?  Why  did  He  not  show 
favor  to  His  own  people?  The  answer  is  simple  and  obvious :  Israel 
had  to  atone  for  its  sins,  but  the  pagans  found  mercy  because 
they  believed  the  Word  of  God.  Capharnaum  was  permitted  to 
behold  God's  glory,  but  Jesus  could  work  no  miracles  in  Nazareth 
and  other  places,  because  of  the  unbelief  of  the  inhabitants. 

Over  and  over  again  we  find  that  those  who  belong  to  the  true 
Church  or  who  have  once  really  accepted  the  faith,  think  that 
they  have  a  right  to  enjoy  certain  privileges,  which  cannot  always 
be  conferred  upon  them.  Thus  they  cannot  invariably  be  preserved 
from  suffering,  and  when  their  hopes  are  frustrated,  they  are  apt 
to  despond,  and  it  seems  to  them  quite  inexplicable  that  some- 
times their  chastisement  is  unusually  severe. 

II.  God  does  not  fail  to  help  His  servants  in  their  time  of  need ; 
nor  did  Jesus  begrudge  working  miracles  in  Nazareth.  God  is  not 
devoid  of  compassion  when  you  are  in  sorrow,  or  blind  to  your 
misery,  or  deaf  to  your  prayers  for  help.  He  gives  us  gladly  all 
that  is  good  for  us,  otherwise  He  could  not  call  Himself  our 
Father,  or  say  that  He  loves  us  more  dearly  than  a  mother  loves 
her  babe.  If  He  did  not  love  us.  He  would  not  have  sent  His 
Son  to  redeem  us.  If  only  you  had  faith — not  the  dead  faith  that 
does  not  go  beyond  mere  emotions  and  meaningless  words,  but 
the  true,  living  faith,  that  manifests  itself  in  love  and  obedience, 
you  would  behold  God's  glory  in  your  heart,  your  home,  your  daily 
work  and  trials. 

But  our  Father  in  Heaven  is  just,  and  holiness  and  justice  are 
His  attributes  no  less  than  love  and  mercy.     Hence  wherever  there 


112       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

is  sin,  He  inflicts  punishment,  not  only  on  His   foes,  who  believe 
not  in  Him,  but  also  on  His  children  who  believe. 

HI.  Some  people  fancy  that  Christ  underwent  all  the  punish- 
ment, both  temporal  and  eternal,  that  was  due  to  our  sins.  There- 
fore, God  has  laid  all  the  punishment  required  by  His  justice,  on 
One  Who  was  innocent,  and  has  allowed  the  guilty  to  go  scot 
free.  No  human  being  ought  to  be  liable  to  any  penalty,  since 
Christ  suffered  for  all.  But  God  has  so  ordered  matters  that  be- 
lievers alone  benefit  by  Christ's  atonement,  and  hence  it  follows 
that  all  who  believe  ought  to  be  exempt  from  all  punishment,  tem- 
poral as  well  as  eternal.  Should  God  inflict  any  chastisement  upon 
believers,  He  would  be  acting  like  a  usurer,  who  first  exacted 
repayment  of  a  loan  from  the  sureties,  and  then  extorted  the  same 
sum  over  again  from  his  debtor. 

If  this  opinion  were  correct,  and  if  God  remitted  all  punishment, 
temporal  as  well  as  eternal,  for  Christ's  sake,  the  faith-healers, 
who  attracted  so  much  attention  a  few  years  ago,  would  have  right 
on  their  side.  They  argue  thus:  If  you  have  faith,  you  are  free 
from  all  temporal  punishment  of  sin,  all  suffering  and  all  disease. 
A  believer  cannot  be  ill,  and  if  sickness  attacks  him,  it  is  a  sign 
tnat  he  is  deficient  in  faith ;  therefore  if  he  can  but  have  faith  enough, 
he  will  be  cured  forthwith.  If  the  faithhealers  fail  to  effect  a  cure, 
the  blame  rests  not  with  them,  but  with  the  sick  person,  who  either 
cannot  or  will  not  believe.  All  who  believe  have  a  right  to  be  spared 
sickness  and  every  kind  of  temporal  suffering,  and  so  if  any  malady 
assails  them,  God  is  bound  to  deliver  them  from  it,  either  by  natural 
or  by  miraculous  means ;  and  therefore  the  professional  healers 
consider  themselves  commissioned  to  perform  such  miracles. 

If  this  theory  were  correct,  and  a  logical  deduction  were  drawn 
from  these  arguments,  a  fanatical  sect,  that  originated  some  years 


PASSION   SUNDAY  113 

ago,  would  also  be  in  the  right.  They  went  so  far  as  to  maintain 
that  a  believer  could  not  die,  but  must  be  exempt  from  bodily- 
death,  since  Christ  died  for  him,  and  God  does  not  impose  the  death 
penalty  twice.  Whenever  any  member  of  the  sect  died,  the  sur- 
vivors were  much  astonished,  and  could  only  assume  that  they  had 
been  mistaken  in  supposing  him  to  be  a  believer. 

Some  estimable  people  tell  us  that  their  sense  of  justice  is  out- 
raged by  the  idea  that  God  has  laid  the  chastisement  for  sin  upon 
the  innocent,  in  such  a  way  as  to  release  the  guilty  from  at  least 
everlasting  punishment  due  to  it.  If  such  men  are  not  taught  the 
true  doctrine  on  this  subject,  they  are  likely  to  lose  their  faith  and 
abandon  Christianity,  and  thus  the  Church  is  deprived  of  honest 
but  unenlightened  souls,  who  might  have  been  her  loyal  supporters, 
had  they  been  better  instructed. 

IV.  How  can  we  account  for  the  sufferings  that  overtake  God's 
children  in  this  world?  Those  who  do  not  accept  the  teaching  of 
the  Church,  answer  this  question  in  many  different  ways.  Some 
say  that  God  allowed  our  Saviour  to  pay  the  whole  penalty,  in 
order  to  deliver  us  from  all  punishment,  including  the  temporal. 
But,  seeing  discipline  to  be  good  for  us.  He  lets  us  suffer  just  as 
though  He  regarded  us  as  guilty,  whereas  for  Christ's  sake  He 
looks  upon  us  as  perfectly  innocent.  This  line  of  thought  seems 
to  involve  a  strange  inconsistency.  Suppose  a  father  were  to  say  to 
his  son :  "You  have  behaved  well,  and  I  have  no  fault  to  find  with 
you,  but  I  think  a  whipping  might  do  you  good."  Might  not  the 
boy  who  was  flogged  have  ground  for  complaint?  If  God  has 
renounced  all  right  to  punish  us,  because  Christ  has  made  atone- 
ment, He  has  surely  no  right  to  inflict  suffering  upon  those  who 
believe  in  Him.  On  these  lines  the  sorrows  of  the  faithful  become 
quite  inexplicable,  and  altogether  irreconcilable  with  their  redemp- 


114         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

tion  in  Christ.  It  is  a  real  misfortune  when  no  explanation 
of  suffering  is  forthcoming,  for  it  is  very  hard  to  bear  a  cross 
for  which  no  account  can  be  given,  and  which  seems  out  of  keep- 
ing with  God's  love.  In  this  way  the  problem  of  the  cross  is  as 
obscure  for  us,  as  it  was  for  Job.     What  is  its  solution? 

Experience  shows  us  that  God  allows  His  faithful  children  to 
suffer  in  this  world,  and  inflicts  temporal  chastisement  upon  them. 
The  Saints  often  endured  great  trials,  so  it  must  be  quite  a  mistake 
to  suppose  that  all  suffering  was  laid  upon  our  Saviour  in  order 
that  we  should  go  scot  free,  and  escape  even  temporal  punishment. 
The  Church  has  always  taught  that,  in  God's  design,  Christ's  re- 
demption was  intended  to  deliver  us  from  the  eternal,  but  not  from 
all  the  temporal  punishment  due  to  our  sins.  The  latter  we  have 
to  endure  as  a  just  chastisement,  and  as  a  penance,  which  affords 
us  an  opportunity  of  satisfying  God's  justice  during  our  earthly 
life.  At  the  same  time  the  sorrows  of  this  world  serve  to  teach  us 
humility,  obedience  and  patience.  This  belief  gives  us  peace  of 
mind,  and  courage  to  bear  our  cross,  and  the  cross  ceases  to  be 
inexplicable.  If  we  bear  it  with  humility,  patience  and  resignation, 
it  will  sanctify,  purify  and  strengthen  us,  as  nothing  else  can  do. 
Hence  all  who  really  believe,  are  eager  to  tread  the  way  of  the 
Cross,  and  the  Via  dolorosa  is  found  to  be  strewn  with  blessings. 


PALM   SUNDAY  IIS 

PALM  SUNDAY 
A  TWO-FOLD  HOSANNA 

"The  multitudes  that  went  before  and  that  followed,  cried,  saying:  Ho- 
sanna  to  the  Son  of  David;  blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  Hosanna  in  the  highest." — Matt,  xxi,  9. 

At  first  sight  there  seems  something  incongruous  about  hosanna 
in  Lent,  during  the  season  of  penance ;  but  we  must  remember  that 
there  is  a  two-fold  hosanna,  and  that  there  are  two  ways  in  which 
Christ  comes  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  His  friends  should  welcome 
Him  each  time  with  the  cry:  "Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord." 

/.  In  lowliness.  St.  Paul,  speaking  of  Christ's  humiliation,  says 
that  He  took  "the  form  of  a  servant,  being  made  in  the  likeness  of 
man  .  .  .  He  humbled  Himself,  becoming  obedient  unto  death, 
even  to  the  death  of  the  cross"  (Phil,  ii,  7,  8).  His  humiliation 
consisted  in  renunciation  of  the  full  use  of  His  divine  and  human 
rights.  In  to-day's  Gospel  we  read  that  when  He  was  about  to 
enter  Jerusalem  with  His  followers,  He  borrowed  an  ass,  and  in  the 
absence  of  a  saddle  some  garments  were  laid  on  the  creature's 
back.  The  whole  triumphal  procession  was,  as  He  well  knew,  the 
first  stage  on  His  road  to  death,  even  the  death  of  the  Cross,  for 
our  sins. 

He  comes  therefore  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  we  behold  Him 
in  His  beauty  and  recognize  Him  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  ready  to 
take  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  so  we  greet  Him  with  the 
words :  "Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 


ii6         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

But  is  not  His  humiliation  over?  Yes;  He  is  personally  glori- 
fied; yet  in  his  dealings  with  us  He  often  displays  His  lowliness. 
We  see  that  His  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,  and  possesses  no 
outward  splendor.  His  word  reaches  us  from  the  lips  of  obscure 
human  beings,  and  it  is  still  obscure,  it  still  makes  great  demands 
upon  our  faith,  whilst  its  apparent  contradictions  call  for  humble 
and  submissive  acceptation  on  our  part.  Even  Christ's  Sacraments 
are  outwardly  human  actions,  devoid  of  all  pomp  that  would  render 
them  attractive  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  and  so  many  people  despise 
instead  of  honoring  them. 

It  behooves  us  to  welcome  our  Lord  with  faith,  humility  and 
obedience,  and  then  a  song  of  praise  will  rise  involuntarily  from 
our  hearts  and  find  utterance  on  our  lips.  If  we  receive  Him 
otherwise.  He  will  care  nothing  for  our  praise.  It  is  in  His  power 
to  overwhelm  us  with  the  brilliancy  of  His  heaven-born  splendor, 
and  to  compel  us  to  adore  Him,  as  He  did  for  a  moment  in  the 
Garden  of  Gethsemani,  when  the  soldiers  came  to  arrest  Him.  He 
might  use  the  irresistible  force  of  His  divinity  to  exact  our  homage, 
and  to  silence  those  who  despise  Him.  But  He  does  none  of  these 
things,  for  He  wishes  to  win  our  hearts,  and  so  He  comes  with 
a  light  that  fails  to  dazzle,  although  it  suffices  to  guide  those  who 
frankly  seek  the  truth.  Our  Lord  requires  us  to  choose  Him  freely 
in  humility  and  obedience,  for  it  is  false  to  say  that  we  possess  no 
free  will.  It  is  as  essential  for  creatures  endowed  with  the  moral 
sense  now  as  it  was  in  Paradise.  If  there  were  no  free  will,  the 
prophet  Osee  could  not  truthfully  assert:  "Destruction  is  thy  own, 
O  Israel"  (xiii,  19),  for  God  would  be  to  blame  for  our  destruction, 
and  would  have  no  right  to  reproach  us.  But  whilst  it  is  undoubt- 
edly true  that  we  alone  are  answerable  for  our  own  destruction, 
it  is  no  less  true  that  our  salvation  comes  from  God,  Who,  by 


PALM   SUNDAY  117 

His  grace,  stimulates,  supports  and  strengthens  our  free  will.  If 
we  avail  ourselves  rightly  of  our  freedom  and  His  help,  our  out- 
pourings of  praise  will  be  spontaneous. 

How  can  we  praise  God  in  the  right  way?  The  shouts  of  the 
multitude  at  Christ's  entry  into  Jerusalem  meant  nothing  more  than 
such  shouts  frequently  mean ;  they  express  merely  a  momentary 
enthusiasm  roused  by  superficial  excitement.  The  people  are  easily 
moved  when  anything  impresses  them  by  its  greatness,  beauty  or 
pathos;  each  individual  communicates  his  feelings  to  his  neighbors, 
and  the  result  is  a  universal  outcry,  although  many  perhaps  hardly 
know  why  they  are  shouting.  This  fact  accounts  for  the  sudden 
change  from  the  hosanna  of  Palm  Sunday  to  the  savage  yells  of 
"Crucify  Him,  Crucify  Him." 

If  we  desire  to  praise  God  aright,  we  must  not  lay  too  much  stress 
upon  feelings  of  excitement  and  tears  of  emotion,  which  are  so 
uncertain  that  they  readily  veer  round  into  the  opposite  direction. 
The  Jews  on  Palm  Sunday  showed  their  respect  for  our  Lord  by 
spreading  their  garments  before  Him ;  we  can  do  still  better.  If  we 
are  clothed  with  the  garments  of  pride,  vanity  and  selfishness,  let 
us  strip  them  off  for  His  sake.  This  sacrifice  will  please  Him 
more  than  clothes  spread  on  the  road  and  shouts  of  hosanna,  for 
there  is  less  danger  of  its  being  prompted  merely  by  a  fleeting  emo- 
tion; moreover  it  costs  us  more,  and  does  Him  greater  honor. 
The  Jews  cut  down  branches  from  the  trees  and  strewed  them  in 
the  way.  We  can  lop  off  the  evil  growths  that  disfigure  our  in- 
ward and  outward  life,  the  sinful  inclinations  and  passions,  the 
effeminate  habits  and  worldly  amusements  that  are  like  parasites, 
destroying  our  vitality.  We  can  cut  them  down,  cost  what  it  may ; 
the  most  painful  sacrifices  are  the  most  precious  and  in  these  re- 
spects Christ  demands  not  a  little,   for  He  says:  'Tf  thine  eyes 


ii8         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

scandalize  thee,  pluck  it  out  and  cast  it  from  thee  ...  if  they  hand 
scandalize  thee,  cut  it  off  and  cast  it  from  thee."  To  make  sacri- 
fices for  Christ  is  to  offer  Him  the  form  of  homage  that  He  values 
most  highly.  Feelings  and  words  are  shortlived  and  untrust- 
worthy, and  our  Lord  cares  more  for  the  homage  paid  by  the  will 
and  mode  of  life.  We  have  to  work  out  our  salvation  with  fear 
and  trembling,  bringing  to  bear  upon  the  task  all  our  will  and  all 
our  faculties,  so  that  our  daily  life  may  be  transformed  into  the 
service  of  God,  and  this  is  a  song  of  praise,  more  pleasing  to 
Him  than  any  other. 

//.  In  glory.  Our  Lord's  humiliation  is  followed  by  His  ex- 
altation, which  consists  in  His  resuming  His  divine  and  human 
prerogatives,  and  thus  entering  into  His  glory  at  the  right  hand  of 
the  Father.  Sometimes  we  see  rays  of  His  glory  penetrating  the 
obscurity  of  His  lowliness,  and  this  is  the  case  in  to-day's  Gospel. 
He  knew  beforehand  what  His  messengers  would  encounter  in  Jeru- 
salem ;  He  knew  that  the  owner  of  the  ass  would  at  once  lend  the 
animal,  on  hearing  that  the  Lord  had  need  of  it.  He  realized  that 
the  prophecy  was  being  fulfilled  when  He,  the  true  King  of  Sion, 
accepted  the  homage  of  His  people.  Yet  it  is  in  the  epistle  that  we 
hear  most  of  His  glory:  "God  hath  exalted  Him,  and  hath  given 
Him  a  name  which  is  above  all  names;  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
every  knee  should  bow,  of  those  that  are  in  heaven,  on  earth,  and 
under  the  earth;  and  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  in  the  glory  of  God  the  Father"  (Phil,  ii,  9-1 1). 

Those  who  extol  Him  in  His  glory  are  those  who  honored  Him 
in  His  humiliation ;  it  is  impossible  to  despise  Him  in  His  lowliness 
and  praise  Him  in  His  glory;  although  many  behave  as  if  they 
could  act  thus.  No  one  can  rejoice  with  our  glorified  Saviour,  who 
has  not  been  His  friend  and  companion  in  humiliation.     We  have 


PALM   SUNDAY  ny 

already  considered  whether  it  is  still  possible  to  praise  our  Lord 
in  His  lowliness,  now  that  He  has  entered  into  His  glory.  We  have 
now  to  ask  whether  we  can  praise  Him  in  His  glory  before  we  our- 
selves are  admitted  to  share  it. 

No  doubt  we  can  do  so,  in  as  far  as  we  can  already  perceive  some 
faint  glimmer  of  His  Majesty.  St.  Paul  speaks  of  something  that 
God  has  revealed  to  us,  His  children,  even  in  this  world,  although 
"eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  hath  it  entered  into  the 
heart  of  man"  (i  Cor.  ii,  9),  Every  Christian  experiences  it  to 
some  extent,  though  he  may  not  enjoy  such  a  revelation  as  was 
granted  to  the  Apostle.  We  must,  as  a  rule,  be  contented  with  the 
faint  reflection  of  glory  which  reaches  us  here  below;  it  is  of  this 
that  St.  John  speaks  when  he  says :  "The  Word  was  made  Flesh, 
and  dwelt  among  us,  and  we  saw  His  glory,  the  glory  as  it  were 
of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth"  (John 
i,  14).  This  alone  ought  to  satisfy  us,  and  make  us  exclaim. 
"Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  Name  of  the  Lord." 

///.  Homage  from  all.  When  our  Saviour  comes  in  glory  to 
judge  both  the  living  and  the  dead,  all  will  have  to  bend  the  knee 
before  Him;  that  is  to  say,  all,  willingly  or  unwillingly,  must  adore 
Him,  for  He  demands  the  worship  of  the  whole  human  race  and  of 
all  creation.  "Every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth, 
and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are 
in  them ;  I  heard  all  saying :  To  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  and 
to  the  Lamb,  benediction  and  honor  and  glory  and  power  for  ever 
and  ever"  (Apoc.  v,  13).  If  you  have  hitherto  not  learned  how  to 
praise  Him,  or  if  your  praise  has  been  hypocritical  lipservice  and 
not  heartfelt  adoration,  be  converted,  whilst  there  is  yet  time.  Look 
at  your  heart,  deeply  stained  with  sin,  and  then  contemplate  His 
Heart,  abounding  in  mercy.    The  more  profoundly  you  realize  the 


120         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

sinfulness  of  your  own  heart,  the  more  freely  will  mercy  and  grace 
flow  from  His  most  Sacred  Heart.  The  more  intense  your  sor- 
row for  sin  here,  the  louder  will  be  your  song  of  rejoicing  here- 
after, when  you  are  permitted  to  greet  Him  with  the  words: 
"Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  Name  of  the  Lord." 


EASTER   SUNDAY  121 

EASTER  SUNDAY 
"WITH  FEAR  AND  GREAT  JOY" 

"The  angel  answering  said  to  the  women :  Fear  not  you,  for  I  know  that 
you  seek  Jesus,  who  was  crucified.  He  is  not  here,  for  He  is  risen,  as  He 
said :  Come  and  see  the  place  where  the  Lord  was  laid." — Matt,  xxviii,  5,  6. 

The  evangelist  tells  us  that  the  women  went  out  from  the  se- 
pulchre with  fear  and  great  joy,  running  to  tell  our  Lord's  disciples 
that  He  had  risen  from  the  dead.  If  we  consider  these  two  emo- 
tions, fear  and  joy,  we  shall  find  that  they  dominate  our  whole  life 
here  on  earth. 

I.  It  is  obvious  that  all  creatures  feel  fear.  I  often  feed  the 
birds  on  my  windowsill,  and  watch  them  as  they  eat.  They  never 
pick  up  a  crumb  without  a  hasty  glance  round  to  see  if  any  danger 
threatens  them.  It  makes  me  sad  sometimes  to  watch  them,  for 
they  are  so  timid.  If  I  go  for  a  walk  in  the  woods,  I  enjoy  the 
cool  shade,  the  aromatic  fragrance  of  the  trees,  the  song  of  the 
birds  and  the  movements  of  innumerable  little  animals ;  but  as  soon 
as  I  try  to  approach  any  of  the  woodland  creatures,  they  disappear; 
they  seem  to  live  in  a  state  of  perpetual  alarm.  May  we  not  say  the 
same  of  human  existence?  We  feel  even  greater  fear,  because  we 
realize  greater  dangers,  and  every  man  knows  that  he  is  a  re- 
^onsible  agent,  and  is  conscious  of  his  shortcomings.  Although 
he  may  not  recognize  the  reason  of  his  fear,  he  dreads  involuntarily 
the  judgment  that  awaits  all  sinners.  He  knows  that  death  is  in- 
evitable, and  no  enjoyment,  however  intense,  can  remove  his  fear 
of  it;  in  fact  this  fear  often  embitters  his  happiest  moments. 

No  human  life  is  free  from  fear  of  this  sort,  least  of  all  a  worldly, 


122      CATHOLIC   CHRISTIANITY   AND    THE  MODERN   WORLD 

self-indulgent  existence,  for  there  is  no  escape  from  the  judginent 
to  come,  when  an  account  will  have  to  be  rendered.  It  is  an  unde- 
niable fact  that  an  unworthy  and  useless  life  is  a  life  of  fear ;  but 
perhaps  some  will  venture  to  challenge  my  statement,  if  I  declare 
it  to  be  also  a  joyless  existence.  I  shall  certainly  be  charged  with 
exaggeration,  but  there  may  be  a  variety  of  opinions  as  to  what 
constitutes  happiness,  and  probably  everyone  will  finally  admit  that 
such  a  life  is  devoid  of  true  joy.  The  result  is  the  same;  a  joy 
that  is  not  true,  is  really  not  joy  at  all ;  and  therefore  I  affirm  that  a 
worldly,  unprofitable  life  is  devoid  of  true  happiness.  Of  course 
a  worldly-minded  man  finds  pleasure  in  all  sorts  of  things,  such  as 
eating,  drinking,  sleeping,  good  health,  sensual  gratification,  a  good 
reputation,  etc.  But  do  these  constitute  true  happiness?  No; 
happiness  that  consists  of  transitory  enjoyment,  whether  intellectual 
or  sensual,  is  not  true  happiness  at  all.  To  be  true,  it  must  possess 
some  degree  of  permanence,  and  be  to  some  extent  independent 
of  accidental  changes.  Now  a  worldly  man  never  experiences  hap- 
piness of  this  kind,  and  therefore  we  may  safely  assert  that  his 
life  is  devoid  of  true  joy. 

II.  The  life  of  ever}'^  Christian  is  tinged  with  fear  and  joy.  It 
is  a  dangerous  mistake  to  describe  the  earthly  existence  of  Christ's 
followers  as  full  of  joy,  and  to  ignore  the  presence  of  fear.  This 
mistake  leads  to  painful  results,  since,  whenever  fear  is  felt,  a  con- 
sciousness of  disappointment  may  plunge  a  man  into  unbelief  or 
even  into  despair.  It  is  through  fear — the  fear  inseparable  from 
a  sense  of  one's  own  sinfulness,  that  we  attain  to  the  true  happiness 
of  Christianity.  Fear  and  joy  belong  to  the  very  essence  of  the 
Christian  life,  but  they  do  so  in  a  greater  or  less  degree. 

III.  In  many  cases  a  Christian  experiences  much  fear  and  little 
joy,  and  there  are  some  who  seem  always  overshadowed  by  dread. 


EASTER   SUNDAY  123 

This  may  be  due  to  natural  melancholy,  to  an  innate  disposition 
to  look  on  the  dark  side  of  things,  and  to  discover  everywhere 
ground  for  tmeasiness  and  anxiety.  It  may  proceed  from  the 
remembrances  of  past  sins,  of  wasted  opportunities  and  wrong- 
doing. If  people  of  this  kind  were  not  Christians,  they  would  be 
very  apt  to  despair ;  but  in  their  religion  they  possess  the  source  of 
a  certain  amount  of  happiness,  that  is  true  and  permanent,  and  so 
they  are  enabled  to  persevere,  for  they  feel,  deep  in  their  hearts, 
the  germ  of  what  will  eventually  be  exultant  gladness.  I  think  that 
there  are  many  Christians  of  this  kind;  they  are  thankful  for  the 
scant  measure  of  joy  that  they  possess,  but  they  are  weighed  down 
with  sadness,  and  look  out  on  life  with  eyes  dim  with  tears;  they 
walk  in  much  fear,  and  very  little  happiness. 

IV.  There  are  others  whose  life  is  an  alternation  of  intense  fear 
and  intense  joy.  They  realize  their  shortcomings,  they  perceive 
clearly  the  dangers  and  difficulties  threatening  both  them  and  the 
Church,  and  they  are  filled  with  sorrow  and  alarm.  Yet  at  the  same 
time  they  welcome  every  encouragement  and  reason  for  rejoicing, 
and  thus  they  are  better  able  bodily  to  encounter  perils.  They  live 
in  much  fear  and  much  happiness. 

V.  Finally  there  are  some  who  abound  in  joy,  though  it  is  not 
wholly  free  from  all  admixture  of  fear.  The  Apostle's  advice  to 
work  out  our  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling  is  addressed  to  all 
Christians,  yet  not  in  the  same  degree.  Some  fortunate  mortals  live 
either  by  nature  or  by  grace,  or  by  both  in  conjunction,  so  peace- 
ful and  calm  a  life,  that  in  their  case  joy  overpowers  fear.  This  is 
not  invariably  a  mark  of  the  highest  perfection,  for  such  quiet, 
contented  souls  may  be  liable  to  a  kind  of  superficiality  and  spir- 
itual shortsightedness,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  their  lives  may  be 
exceptionally  smooth,  happy  and  harmonious. 


124      CATHOLIC   CHRISTIANITY   AND    THE   MODERN    WORLD 

VI.  In  all  the  three  classes  of  Christians  that  we  have  been  con- 
sidering, fear  and  joy  are  seen  to  be  inseparable  in  this  life.  There- 
fore those  who  are  cheerful  should  rejoice,  but  at  the  same  time 
they  must  be  careful  not  to  forget  to  work  out  their  salvation  with 
fear  and  trembling.  Those  who  are  sad  should  bear  in  mind  the 
Apostle's  exhortation  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord  always.  They  must 
cherish  the  germ  of  happiness  which  God  has  implanted  in  the 
depths  of  their  souls. 

VII.  There  is,  however,  a  life  devoid  of  fear  and  abounding  in 
joy,  but  it  is  enjoyed  only  by  those  who  have  finished  their  course, 
and  whose  sorrows  are  forgotten  in  God's  undying  love.  We 
ought  not  to  expect  such  bliss  here  below,  but  we  may  look  for- 
Avard  to  it  in  the  glory  of  heaven. 

VIII.  This  life  being  full  of  fear  and  alarm,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  many  a  Christian  is  inclined  to  ask  how  he  can  overcome  these 
feelings.  Remember  the  words  addressed  by  the  angel  to  the 
women  at  the  sepulchre:  "Fear  not  you,  for  I  know  that  you  seek 
Jesus  Who  was  Crucified."  There  is  an  old  saying  which  has  often 
consoled  me  in  times  of  despondency:  "He  worketh  not  in  vain, 
who  laboreth  for  God."  This  harmonizes  with  the  angel's  "Fear 
not."  ...  If  our  anxieties  are  really  due  to  our  eagerness  to  find 
Jesus,  if  our  labor  is  really  an  effort  to  know  and  recognize  His 
truth — then  to  what  troubles  us  is  attached  the  promise  that  we 
shall  find  Him  and  see  Him  as  He  is,  and  find  in  Him  joy  ever- 
lasting. If  we  seek  Jesus  Who  was  crucified,  we  need  never  fear, 
as  those  do,  who  have  no  hope.  He  that  seeketh,  findeth.  Our 
Divine  Saviour  did  not  remain  dead,  but  rose  again  from  the  dead. 
He  is  risen  indeed.  The  women  beheld  their  risen  Lord,  as  did 
the  Apostles,  with  whom  He  tarried  forty  days,  so  that  more  than 
five  hundred  of  the  brethren  saw  Him  after  His  resurrection.    His 


EASTER   SUNDAY  125 

disciples  bore  Joyful  testimony  to  His  resurrection,  and  gladly  died 
as  martyrs  rather  than  deny  this  truth.  Their  unanimous  testi- 
mony is  the  source  of  joy  to  us,  for  since  Christ  rose  from  the 
dead,  He  has  destroyed  the  dominion  of  death  over  us,  for  whom 
He  died.  Hence  we  perceive  a  light  beyond  the  grave,  and  the 
dawn  of  eternity  is  for  us  the  entrance  into  everlasting  happiness. 


126     CATHOLIC   CHRISTIANITY   AND    THE   MODERN    WORLD 

LOW  SUNDAY 
PEACE  BE  TO  YOU 

"Now  when  it  was  late  that  same  day,  the  first  of  the  week,  and  the  doors 
were  shut,  where  the  disciples  were  gathered  together  for  fear  of  the  Jews, 
Jesus  came  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said  to  them :  'Peace  be  to  you.'  "— 
John  XX,  19. 

We  read  in  to-day's  Gospel  that  our  Saviour  greeted  His  dis- 
ciples twice  with  the  words:  "Peace  be  to  you"  and  He  offers  us 
the  same  greeting.  Peace  is  a  precious  treasure,  and  the  whole  hap- 
piness of  Christianity  may  be  summed  up  in  the  one  idea  of  peace. 
A  man  may  possess  all  that  his  heart  can  desire,  but  if  he  is  not  at 
peace,  he  is  not  happy.  On  the  other  hand,  however,  no  one  is 
miserable,  though  he  may  be  in  abject  poverty,  who  enjoys  peace 
of  mind;  he  is,  in  spite  of  all  things,  truly  happy.  There  is  only 
one  kind  of  peace  that  bestows  such  happiness— peace  with  God 
through  Jesus  Christ.  When  through  His  Church  our  Lord  greets 
us  with  words  of  peace.  His  greeting  is  not  the  mere  expression  of 
a  wish,  but  it  actually  confers  the  gift.  When  He  commissions 
His  servants  to  say  Pax  vobiscum,  or  Pax  huic  domiii,  He  intends 
not  only  to  wish  peace  to  exist,  but  also  to  impart  it.  His  words 
are  full  of  grace  and  power,  if  we  are  willing  to  accept  them.  Our 
Saviour's  gift  of  peace  should  strengthen  us  to  resist  human  re- 
spect, discouragement  and  doubts. 

/.  Human  respect.  On  the  evening  of  the  first  Easter  day  the 
disciples  were  gathered  together,  a  timid  company,  sitting  with  the 
doors  shut  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  This  was  quite  natural,  for  ever>'- 
one  was  against  them,  and  they  were  in  sore  need  of  help.  Their 
Master  had  been  taken  from  them  and  they  knew  not  whither  to 


LOIV   SUNDAY  127 

turn,  when  suddenly  they  saw  Him  standing  in  their  midst.  Their 
fear  and  despondency  vanished,  for  their  Lord  was  once  more  with 
them,  pouring  His  peace  into  their  hearts.  "The  disciples  there- 
fore were  glad  when  they  saw  the  Lord."  Since  then  the  same 
thing  has  happened  again  and  again.  How  often  has  a  little  group 
of  followers  of  Christ  sought  concealment  from  the  hatred  and 
persecution  of  the  world!  Even  at  the  present  day  Christians  have 
to  fear  open  ill-treatment  and  active  hostility,  as  well  as  uncharitable 
judgments,  calumnies  and  intolerance.  They  are  apt  to  lose  their 
peace  of  mind;  but  the  true  disciples  of  Jesus  can  always  recover  it, 
especially  if  they  assemble  in  His  Name  within  His  Church.  There 
He  is  in  their  midst,  ready  to  give  the  graces  that  they  need,  and 
also  to  bestow  that  peace  which  sinks  deep  into  the  heart,  sanctifying 
the  life  and  strengthening  the  mind  of  each  person  present.  This 
peace  proceeds  from  the  joyful  consciousness  that  Christ  is  in  their 
midst,  and  so,  as  of  old,  the  disciples  of  Jesus  rejoice  in  the  cer- 
tainty that  their  Lord  is  with  them.  They  realize  that  men  have 
never  prevailed  against  God  and  His  Church,  however  intense  their 
hatred  and  fury  may  have  been.  The  knowledge  of  this  fact  caused 
St.  Justin,  one  of  the  earliest  martyrs  in  the  age  of  persecution,  to 
utter  the  proudest  defiance  ever  hurled  by  a  Christian  against  the 
enemies  of  the  Church :  "You  may  kill  us,  but  you  cannot  injure  us." 

II.  Discouragement.  After  saying  to  His  disciples  "Peace  be  to 
you,"  our  Lord  continued:  "As  the  Father  hath  sent  Me,  I  also 
send  you,"  and  He  went  on  to  give  them  authority  to  forgive  and 
to  retain  sins,  thus  assigning  to  them  their  official  position  in  His 
Church.  Peace  was  to  be  with  them,  as  a  pledge  of  strength  in 
spite  of  weakness. 

When  we  consider  our  own  poverty  in  good  works,  we  are  very- 
apt  to  be  discouraged ;  and  sometimes,  when  we  seem  to  have  toiled 


128     CATHOLIC   CHRISTIANITY   AND    THE  MODERN    WORLD 

altogether  in  vain,  we  feel  inclined  to  despair.  Our  conscience 
too  often  accuses  us,  and  all  our  efforts  seem  to  end  in  failure.  The 
world  tries  to  quiet  the  voice  of  conscience  by  pleading:  "I  did  my 
best,"  but  in  most  cases  this  is  utterly  untrue;  we  have  not  done 
our  best,  and  we  have  no  right  to  flatter  ourselves  with  such  an 
excuse.  A  Christian  labors  with  fear  and  trembling  for  others 
as  well  as  for  himself,  and  frequently  he  is  overwhelmed  by  a  sense 
of  depression.  What  is  he  to  do?  We  are  much  better  off  than 
the  disciples  who,  believing  that  their  Lord  had  left  them  completely 
alone,  hid  in  fear  of  the  Jews.  We  know  that  He  has  not  aban- 
doned us;  we  know  where  to  find  Him,  really  present  as  God  and 
Man,  in  the  tabernacle  of  every  Catholic  Church.  We  ought  to 
gather  round  Him  there,  eager  to  adore  and  to  receive  Him,  and  in 
this  Bethel  we  shall  realize  that  "the  Lord  is  in  this  place."  Here 
we  shall  listen  to  His  greeting,  that  brings  to  His  followers  peace, 
gladness  and  strength  to  overcome  all  their  weakness.  Sometimes 
peace  will  be  given  us  abundantly,  sometimes  we  may  be  pain- 
fully aware  that  we  are  not  at  peace,  since  from  time  to  time  it  is 
good  for  us  to  be  humbled,  and  to  fear.  Under  all  circumstances, 
however,  it  behooves  us  to  remember  that  peace  is  to  be  found  in 
faith,  and  not  in  sight.  If  we  never  forget  this  truth,  we  should 
not  so  frequently  complain  of  trouble  of  mind. 

HI.  Doubts.  St.  Thomas  doubted.  He  was  not  present  when 
the  other  disciples  beheld  their  Lord  on  the  evening  of  Easter 
Sunday,  but  he  was  with  them  when,  a  week  later,  Christ  again 
stood  in  their  midst,  saying:  "Peace  be  to  you."  We  are  not  told 
in  the  Gospel  that  Thomas  really  put  his  finger  into  the  prints  of 
the  nails  in  our  Lord's  hands,  but  we  may  probably  assume  that  his 
doubts  were  overcome  partly  by  the  evidence  of  his  own  senses,  but 
still  more  by  the  influence  of  his  Master's  greeting  and  words  of 


LOW  SUNDAY  129 

peace.  Previously  he  had  been  harassed  by  doubt  and  uncertainty, 
but  then  he  was  in  the  presence  of  One  able  to  pour  peace  into  his 
troubled  mind.  Convinced  that  he  was  indeed  standing  before  his 
risen  Saviour,  he  exclaimed  involuntarily :  "My  Lord  and  my  God !" 
In  God  alone  can  the  human  heart  find  peace ;  "He  is  my  God  and 
my  salvation"  (Ps.  Ixi,  3).  He  gives  the  peace  of  which  St.  Paul 
says  that  it  surpasseth  all  understanding  (Phil,  iv,  7).  Such  peace 
is  like  the  sun's  light  shining  into  the  soul  whilst  worldly  men  are 
in  the  gloomy  darkness  of  despair.  Our  faith  derives  fresh  strength 
from  this  peace,  when  we  are  assailed  by  doubts,  although  as  a 
rule,  faith  is  the  stronghold  of  peace.  "Being  justified  by  faith,  let 
us  have  peace  with  God"  (Rom.  v,  i),  says  the  Apostle,  and  it  is 
only  natural  that  this  should  be  the  case,  for  where  else  could  peace 
be  found?  But  when  faith  is  inclined  to  waver,  it  sometimes  is 
sustained  by  the  power  of  peace.  A  man  may  be  tortured  by 
doubts  without  having  entirely  renounced  Christianity;  he  may  be 
struggling  in  vain  for  light,  yet  his  darkness  increases  rather  than 
diminishes,  rendering  the  soul  anxious  and  weary.  But  although  he 
is  on  the  point  of  losing  courage,  he  may  "against  hope  believe  in 
hope"  (Rom.  iv,  18),  and  resign  himself  completely  to  God,  seeking 
Him  in  the  Sacraments,  which  are  the  ordinary  channels  of  grace; 
and  then  it  may  come  to  pass  that  peace  will  descend  upon  his  suf- 
fering soul,  and  be  the  blessed  instrument  of  preserving  his  faith. 
Then  will  he  exclaim  joyfully,  like  St.  Thomas,  "My  Lord  and  my 
God,"  for  he  will  have  recovered  his  faith,  through  the  peace  that 
God  alone  can  bestow. 


ISO        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER 
THE  GOOD   SHEPHERD 

"I  am  the  good  shepherd;  the  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  his  sheep." 
— John  X,  II. 

St.  Paul,  in  writing  to  the  Corinthians,  says :  "By  manifestation 
of  the  truth  we  commend  ourselves  to  every  man's  conscience  in  the 
sight  of  God"  (2  Cor.  iv,  2).  The  lofty  morality  inculcated  by 
Christianity  commends  itself  to  the  conscience  and  intellect  of  every 
individual,  and  this  must  inevitably  be  the  case,  since  no  other  moral 
code  is  as  pure,  nor  does  any  other  agree  so  perfectly  with  what 
our  conscience,  our  own  inward  judge,  tells  us  to  be  right.  At  the 
present  day  there  are  many  moral  systems  unconnected  with  religion, 
but  they  are  all  devoid  of  the  one  thing  necessary  to  give  them  a 
firm  foundation,  and  it  is  precisely  the  religious  element  in  the 
moral  code  of  Christianity  that  commends  it  to  our  understanding. 
In  to-day's  Gospel  we  are  reminded  of  Christ  as  the  Good  Shepherd, 
giving  His  life  for  His  sheep;  let  us  consider  this  truth  in  its  rela- 
tion to  the  requirements  of  our  religious  consciousness  and  reason. 

I.  The  Good  Shepherd  giveth  His  life  for  His  sheep.  Christ  is 
the  Good  Shepherd  because  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us,  because 
He  loved  us  with  intense  love,  for  "greater  love  than  this  no  man 
hath,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends"  (John  xv,  13). 
Love  involves  self-devotion,  which  reaches  its  climax  when  a  man 
dies  for  one  whom  he  loves.  Others  indeed  have  died  for  their 
friends,  but  not  in  the  sense  in  which  Christ  died  for  us.  His  self- 
devotion  was  unparalleled,  for  no  one  in  the  world  could  ever  do 
what  He  did,  and  only  from  the  Gospel  can  we  learn  the  extent  of 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  131 

His  sacrifice.  We  are  taught  that  He  died  for  us,  in  the  sense  of 
dying  in  our  stead,  since,  but  for  His  death,  we  must  inevitably 
have  perished  eternally.  His  death  was  a  sacrifice  oflPered  in  atone- 
ment for  our  sins  and  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.  If  the  doctrine 
of  the  atonement  is  eliminated  from  the  Gospel,  it  at  once  ceases 
to  be  for  us  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation ;  it  is  precisely  because  it 
contains  this  doctrine,  that  the  Gospel  commends  itself  to  the  human 
conscience.  To  many  it  seems  a  hard  saying  that  the  innocent 
should  die  for  the  guilty ;  some  reject  the  doctrine  and  ridicule  it, 
others  adhere  to  the  letter  of  the  Gospel,  but  assign  to  the  words 
another  meaning,  different  from  that  which  they  obviously  bear. 
Such  people  tell  us  that  Christ  gave  up  His  life  as  a  pledge  of  God's 
immediate  and  direct  love  of  sinners,  and  that  we  are  mistaken  in 
supposing  Him  to  be  filled  with  holy  anger  against  them.  Unless 
our  Saviour  had  suffered  the  penalty  of  sin  for  us.  He  would  not 
really  have  effected  our  reconciliation  with  God.  H  there  is  one  thing 
more  than  another  that  corresponds  with  the  universal  religious 
consciousness  of  men,  it  is  the  evangelical  teaching  on  the  subject 
of  the  atonement.  "Without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remis- 
sion" (Heb.  ix,  22).  This  idea  is  impressed  indelibly  in  the  hearts 
of  men  in  every  age,  and  the  thought  of  an  atoning  sacrifice  is 
fundamental  in  every  religion.  Among  pagan  nations  it  was  the 
custom  to  sacrifice  not  only  the  produce  of  their  fields  and  their 
domestic  animals,  but  even  their  slaves  and  their  own  children.  The 
very  suggestion  of  such  things  makes  us  shudder,  but  they  afford 
a  striking  testimony  to  the  universal  need  felt  by  the  human  con- 
science. They  show  how  men  were  blindly  groping  after  what  the 
Gospel  revealed  fully,  viz. :  after  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh 
away  the  sins  of  the  world,  Jesus  Christ  our  Redeemer.  Men  hon- 
ored Him,  though  they  knew  Him  not,  and  the  manner  in  which 


132        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

our  Christian  doctrine  of  the  atonement  commends  itself  to  the 
minds  of  men  is  a  very  remarkable  evidence  of  its  truth.  Jesus 
Christ  gave  up  His  life,  but,  as  He  said,  He  had  power  to  take  it 
again,  and  He  used  this  power  when  He  rose  from  the  dead.  He 
did  not  only  lay  down  His  life  once  for  all  for  our  sake,  but  He  is 
continually  bestowing  it  upon  us,  and  thus  is  nourishing  us  for 
eternal  life.  Hence  He  is  the  Good  Shepherd,  with  whom  none  other 
can  be  compared,  for  no  other  shepherd  can  nourish  his  sheep  with 
his  own  life.  The  pelican  which,  tradition  tells  us,  feeds  its  young 
with  its  own  blood,  and  the  mother,  who  suckles  her  infant  at  her 
breast,  are  but  faint  types  of  Christ  in  His  dealings  with  His  people. 
St.  Paul  describes  the  marvellously  intimate  relation  existing  between 
the  Good  Shepherd  and  His  flock,  and  our  Lord  Himself  speaks 
of  it  in  the  parables  of  the  body  and  its  members,  and  of  the  vine 
and  its  branches.  St.  Paul  uses  an  expression  that,  without  his 
sanction,  we  should  hardly  dare  to  employ,  for  he  says :  "He  who 
is  joined  to  the  Lord  is  one  spirit"  (i  Cor.  vi,  17).  St.  Peter  speaks 
of  our  being  partakers  in  the  divine  nature  (2  Peter  i,  4)  ;  and 
Christ  Himself  compares  His  connection  with  us  with  the  relation 
existing  between  Himself  and  His  heavenly  Father  (John  xvii,  21). 
2.  The  Good  Shepherd  knoweth  His  own  sheep.  Another  reason 
why  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Good  Shepherd  is  that  He  knoweth  His 
own  sheep.  Every  one  of  us,  at  some  time  or  other,  must  have  felt 
a  craving  to  be  known,  a  longing  for  a  friend  whose  piercing  eye 
can  fathom  the  very  depths  of  his  nature.  We  try  to  satisfy  this 
craving  by  forming  human  friendships,  and  occasionally  we  are  suc- 
cessful, but  never  as  completely  successful  as  we  desire.  With  the 
best  intentions  we  are  incapable  of  revealing  our  innermost  being  to 
any  mortal  eye,  nor  have  our  friends  such  clear  and  true  insight 
into  our  character  as  never  to  grieve  us  by  their  lack  of  compre- 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  133 

hension.  Sometimes  we  suffer  bitterly  from  breach  of  confidence 
on  their  part,  and  we  find  those  whom  we  have  loved  and  trusted 
are  ready  to  betray  us.    This  experience  has  broken  many  a  heart. 

The  Gospel  shows  us  Christ  as  one  who  knows  us  thoroughly 
and  never  misunderstands  us,  never  abuses  His  knowledge,  but  uses 
it  in  giving  us  what  we  need ;  thus  acting  like  the  Good  Shepherd, 
who  leads  his  sheep  to  the  best  pasture.  He  gives  us  what  makes 
for  peace,  and  He  possesses  the  power  and  the  love  that  enable  Him 
to  do  this.    This  thought  is  full  of  consolation  for  us  all. 

We  are  speaking  of  a  deep  religious  need,  common  to  all  men.  If 
we  are  to  believe  in  a  God  and  Saviour  and  have  confidence  in  Him, 
He  must  be  one  "who  knoweth  His  own  sheep." 

3.  The  Good  Shepherd  is  known  by  His  sheep.  They  recognize 
His  voice,  approach  Him  with  confidence  and  follow  Him  fear- 
lessly. We  hear  our  Lord's  voice  in  the  Gospel  and  in  the  Church, 
since  He  said  to  His  apostles :  "He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  me" 
(Luke  X,  16).  In  this  way  we  learn  to  know  God,  and  are  not  left 
to  have  recourse  to  some  "unknown  God,"  when  we  wish  to  give 
expression  to  our  religious  needs.  We  know  God  through  His  Son, 
who  is  the  revelation  of  the  Father.  "He  that  seeth  me,  seeth  the 
Father  also"  (John  xiv,  9). 

4,  The  Good  Shepherd  gathereth  His  sheep  together.  The  sheep- 
fold  is  the  Church  of  Christ,  into  which  He  gathers  His  sheep.  We 
all  are  more  or  less  aware  of  a  desire  for  union  and  social  life;  and 
we  are  by  nature  designed  to  live  in  society,  but  we  are  truly  united 
with  one  another  only  when  we  are  united  in  and  with  God,  and  our 
social  instincts  are  satisfied  only  in  His  Church,  in  which  is  restored 
the  intercourse  with  God  that  was  interrupted  by  sin.  Some  people 
imagine  that  the  state  can  supply  all  that  we  require,  and  represent 
the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth,  since  they  assume  its  function  to  be 


134        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

the  development  and  perfection  of  human  life  in  all  its  relations  and 
organization.  By  its  very  nature,  however,  the  state  is  incapable  of 
satisfying  men's  social  instincts  on  the  most  important  points.  The 
state  is  indeed  a  society  ordered  in  accordance  with  law  and  justice, 
and  as  such  it  is  an  institution  designed  by  God,  so  that  the  servants 
of  the  state  may  be  called  "the  ministers  of  God"  (Rom.  xiii,  6). 
But  it  is  essentially  an  organization  the  aim  and  object  of  which  is 
limited  to  this  life.  It  exists  in  and  for  this  world,  and  therefore 
it  is  incapable  of  providing  us  with  what  we  especially  need.  It  is 
a  national  institution.  A  man  is  a  member  of  a  state,  not  as  a  human 
being,  but  as  belonging  to  some  particular  nation,  distinct  in  lan- 
guage, modes  of  thought  and  customs  from  other  nations.  There 
is  no  common  interest  to  bind  together  men  of  different  nationalities, 
and  prevent  their  natural  idiosyncrasies  from  developing  into 
grounds  of  hostility.  The  state  can  never  overcome  our  innate 
selfishness,  which  makes  for  discord.  The  state  is  therefore  a  na- 
tional society,  and  in  the  Church  alone  is  there  a  universal  society. 
She  is  Catholic,  universal,  in  the  highest  and  fullest  sense.  She 
posesses  in  faith,  hope  and  charity  a  unity  that  is  independent  of  all 
local  and  national  limitations.  The  state  controls  the  social  life  of 
men  in  this  world,  and  does  so  chiefly  by  means  of  law,  so  that  the 
law  has  been  called  the  "soul  of  the  state."  It  uses  compulsion  to 
secure  obedience  to  law,  and  consequently  it  is  the  principle  of 
power  that  guarantees  the  existence  of  the  state.  The  task  of  the 
Church  is  to  unite  men  with  God.  She  cannot  attain  this  end  by 
applying  external  compulsion,  and  consequently  her  dominion  is 
based  essentially  upon  the  principle  of  liberty — she  is  a  free  society. 
This  does  not  mean  that  she  claims  no  authority  at  all,  but  that 
her  authority  is  of  another  kind  than  that  of  the  state.  Her  prestige 
is  unrivalled;  she  exerts  however  not  the  right  of  power,  but  the 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  135 

power  of  right;  that  is  to  say,  she  claims  a  right  superior  to  that  of 
any  other  authority,  since  she  alone  is  commissioned  to  guard  and 
teach  revealed  truth.  "If  a  man  will  not  hear  the  Church,  let  him 
be  to  thee  as  the  heathen  and  publican"  (Matt,  xviii,  17).  She 
appeals  to  each  man's  conscience  and  demands  his  voluntary  obedi- 
ence. She  relies  not  on  his  fear  of  compulsion,  but  on  his  sense  of 
duty  and  on  his  recognition  of  her  divine  authority.  Thus,  even 
apart  from  the  explicit  promises  of  her  Founder,  she  has  a  totally 
different  guarantee  for  her  existence  from  that  possessed  by  any 
other  society.  Every  other  community  rests  on  foundations  liable 
to  be  destroyed,  but  conscience  cannot  be  destroyed.  Hence  every 
other  community  is,  in  comparison  with  the  Church,  temporary  and 
changeable ;  she  alone  is  permanent  and  unchanging. 

To  sum  up :  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Good  Shepherd,  who  gathers  us 
all  together  into  one  flock  that  we  may  have  life  eternal — this  flock 
is  the  Church,  in  which  our  natural  desire  for  union  is  gratified. 
It  is  plain,  therefore,  that  from  every  point  of  view  the  teaching  of 
the  Gospel  commends  itself  to  the  conscience  of  each  individual. 


136        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER 

FEAR  AND  CONSOLATION 

"Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled ;  you  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me." — 
John  xiv,  I. 

Many  years  ago  I  made  a  tour  in  the  mountains  with  a  friend, 

and  one  afternoon  we  set  out  to  walk  from  one  cowherd's  cottage 

to  another. 

We  had  been  told  that  there  were  signposts  along  the  path,  so 

that  we  felt  no  uneasiness.     After  a  while,  however,  it  struck  us 

that  the  distance  seemed  much  greater  than  we  had  expected,  and 

suddenly  we  realised  that  we  had  lost  our  way.    We  knew  not  in 

which  direction  to  turn,  for  we  had  neither  map  nor  compass,  and 

could  see  nothing  but  barren  mountains,  stretching  for  miles  all 

around  us.    Dark  clouds  and  occasional  flashes  of  lightning  heralded 

the  approach  of  a  heavy  storm;  the  day  light  was  waning,  and  we 

had  nothing  to  eat.    What  were  we  to  do?    Should  we  wander  on 

or  stay  where  we  were  ?    Both  proposals  seemed  equally  hazardous, 

and  I  felt  terror  then,  as  never  before  in  my  whole  life.     Happily 

before  long  we  met  a  man  who  put  us  on  the  right  path,  and  all 

ended  well. 

I.    This  story  may  serve  to  give  us  some  faint  idea  of  the  alarm 

felt  by  our  Lord's  disciples  at  the  prospect  of  losing  their  Master, 

and  being  left  alone,  without  a  guide,  in  the  wilderness  of  this  world. 

Similar  alarm  must  be  felt  by  every  man,  who  has  no  trustworthy 

guide,  when  he  is  brought  face  to  face  with  the  questions :    "Whence 

did  I  come?"  "Whither  am  I  going?"  "What  is  my  goal?"  "Which 

path  must  I  follow  in  order  to  reach  this  goal  ?"    It  would  be  well 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  137 

for  the  careless  and  indifferent  to  experience  this  sense  of  fear; 
then  perhaps  they  would  listen  to  Christ's  comforting  words :  "I 
am  the  Way."  Notice  how  our  Lord  did  not  speak  of  Himself  as 
the  guide,  but  as  the  way.  He  did  not  merely  point  out  the  road, 
or  set  us  an  example,  as  rationalists  suggest.  It  was  not  enough 
for  us  to  know  something  about  the  way,  and  to  have  an  example 
to  follow — that  was  too  high  for  us,  and  we  needed  something  more. 
Jesus  Christ  is  not  only  our  Teacher,  He  is  also  our  Shepherd,  lift- 
ing the  poor  lost  sheep  in  His  arms  and  bearing  it  back  to  the  sheep- 
fold. 

What  did  He  mean  by  calling  Himself  the  way?  He  meant  that 
we  were  to  be  one  with  Him,  united  to  Him  in  His  living  personality, 
so  that  His  spirit  should  be  our  spirit,  and  His  life  our  life.  Espe- 
cially were  we  to  become  one  with  Him  in  the  most  holy  Sacrament 
of  His  Body  and  Blood.  H  we  are  united  with  Him,  His  way  will 
be  our  way,  and,  walking  with  Him,  we  shall  reach  home  at  last. 
This  doctrine  is  full  of  consolation  for  His  disciples,  when  they  are 
overcome  with  fear  in  the  wilderness  of  this  world,  and  are  at  a  loss 
whither  to  direct  their  steps. 

2.  The  world  Is  not  simply  a  pathless  wilderness,  but  it  abounds 
in  traps  and  snares,  and  those  who  fall  into  them  are  doomed  to 
destruction.  We  ask  in  bewilderment:  "What  is  truth?"  and  re- 
ceive all  kinds  of  contradictory  answers.  We  stand,  as  it  were,  on 
a  moor  across  which  run  innumerable  tracks,  and  we  know  not 
which  to  follow,  yet  our  salvation  depends  upon  our  choosing  the 
right  path.  At  last  we  meet  One  who  says,  not  this  or  that  is  the 
truth,  but  simply:  I  am  the  Truth.  He  does  not  merely  bear 
witness  to  the  truth,  but  He  is  the  Truth,  and  we  attain  to  it  only  by 
being  united  with  Him.  Here  is  comfort  for  the  anxious,  here  our 
hearts  find  peace  such  as  the  world  can  never  give.    We  learn  by 


138         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

happy  experience  that  He  alone  is  the  truth,  in  Him  alone  are  peace 
and  consolation.  Even  amongst  those  who  call  themselves  Chris- 
tians there  exists  a  terrible  indifference  to  the  truth,  which  is  often 
scorned  and  ridiculed,  not  only  by  professed  unbelievers,  but  also 
by  those  professing  to  proclaim  the  truth  regarding  God.  They 
sneer  at  the  great  and  glorious  work  accomplished  by  the  Church 
in  every  age  and  at  her  efforts,  directed  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  to 
present  the  truths  of  Christianity  in  as  clear  a  form  as  possible. 
Her  work  is  indeed  indispensable,  but  they  think  that  we  need  no 
dogmatic  teaching  to  enable  us  to  avoid  the  strife  of  parties  and 
sects,  which  are  always  at  variance  concerning  the  truth,  like  a 
kingdom  divided  against  itself.  Sooner  or  later  all  these  teachers 
arrive  at  the  same  conclusion,  viz. :  that  each  individual  is  saved 
in  virtue  of  whatever  faith  he  possesses.  Thus  the  truth  of  Christ 
is  trampled  under  foot  by  men  who  claim  to  honor  it  themselves 
and  to  uphold  it  as  an  object  of  reverence  to  others. 

3.  But  if,  as  children  of  the  Church,  we  know  the  way  and  rec- 
ognize the  truth,  this  is  not  all  that  is  required  of  us.  It  is  one 
thing  to  know  the  way  leading  to  life,  and  another  to  live.  All 
around  us  we  see  signs  of  death  rather  than  of  life.  Our  loved 
ones  die,  and  we  ourselves  must  die  too.  The  world  is  like  a  vast 
cemetery,  and  wherever  we  go,  we  are  treading  on  graves.  The 
thought  of  death  often  weighs  us  down,  and  even  if  we  can  face 
with  composure  the  death  of  the  body,  it  is  impossible  to  contem- 
plate calmly  the  death  of  the  soul  in  a  state  of  sin.  We  know  the 
way  of  life,  and  yet  many  thousands  die  in  sin,  estranged  from  God. 
Is  this  not  a  terrible  thought?  Can  we  find  anywhere  ground  for 
consolation?  Jesus  Christ  said:  I  am  the  Life.  He  means  by 
these  words:  "Be  united  with  Me  in  faith  and  charity,  and  then 
you  will  not  only  know  the  way  leading  to  life,  but  you  will  actually 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  139 

be  on  the  path,  and  will  have  within  you  the  beginning  of  life 
eternal."  This  is  a  great  consolation  for  a  Christian,  and  experience 
proves  it  to  be  true.  Not  long  ago  we  kept  the  feast  of  St.  Cath- 
arine of  Siena,  who  was  so  wise  and  so  holy  that  no  one  left  her 
company  without  becoming  better.  If  this  can  be  said  with  truth 
of  a  mere  human  being,  it  is  far  more  true  of  Him  who  is  at  once 
Son  of  God  and  Son  of  Man,  for  He  is  the  life,  the  holy,  divine  life, 
that  overcomes  all  death.  This  is  the  joyful  experience  of  Chris- 
tians, who  know  that  the  more  closely  they  cling  to  Him,  and  the 
more  thoroughly  they  are  united  with  Him  in  faith  and  charity  by 
means  of  His  holy  word  and  the  most  holy  Sacrament,  so  much 
the  more  complete  is  the  triumph  within  them  of  life  over  the  pow- 
ers of  sin,  the  flesh  and  death.  This  is  their  chief  consolation,  when 
they  dread  the  dominion  of  death  in  the  world. 

Yet  even  here  is  something  that  fills  me  with  alarm.  It  is  the 
cold  indifference  displayed  by  many  Christians  to  the  life  of  the 
soul;  I  mean  the  holy  life  that  consists  of  love,  obedience  and  self- 
denial.  They  have  some  kind  of  faith,  and  desire  forgiveness  of 
their  sins,  but  their  love  is  cold,  they  are  unwilling  to  obey  or  to 
deny  themselves  in  order  to  attain  to  sanctity  of  life.  Our  Lord 
said :  "He  that  keepeth  my  commandments,  he  it  is  that  loveth  Me." 
Therefore,  if  we  do  not  keep  His  commandments,  we  do  not  love 
Him,  and  there  is  no  life  in  us.  How  fearful  it  is  to  fancy  oneself 
alive  whereas  one  is  really  dead  in  sin! 

4.  We  have  seen  that  there  is  much  comfort  for  all  who  love 
our  Lord ;  but  this  comfort  will  be  perfect  only  in  eternity.  Eliezer, 
the  faithful  servant,  said  to  Rebecca  at  the  well :  "Is  there  room  in 
thy  father's  house  for  me  to  lodge  in?"  and  she  replied  in  the 
affirmative  (Gen.  xxiv,  2^,  25).  So  Christ  tells  us  that  in  His  Fath- 
er's house  are  many  mansions.    There  is  room  for  all  the  vast  multi- 


140         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

tude  of  the  righteous  and  for  myriads  of  angels,  and  there  will  be 
room  for  you,  too,  when  you  depart  hence,  weary  with  the  long 
and  toilsome  journey.  There  is  room  for  those  who  find  no  home 
on  earth ;  room  for  the  outcast  and  downtrodden ;  room  for  all  who 
look  towards  heaven  with  faith  and  love.  When  the  Arian  governor 
asked  St.  Basil  whither  he  could  go,  if  he  were  persecuted  both  on 
land  and  sea,  the  saint  replied :  "Either  under  heaven  or  into 
heaven" ; — under  heaven  in  hope,  into  heaven  in  rapturous  contem- 
plation. Our  place  awaits  us,  for  our  Lord  promised  to  prepare  it 
for  us.  And  not  only  is  our  home  ready,  but  our  heavenly  Father 
is  there  to  welcome  us,  and  Christ  is  there,  and  all  our  friends  who 
have  passed  away  before  us.  Is  it  not  pure  joy  to  think  of  our  wel- 
come home?  Christ  promised  to  come  again  and  take  us  to  Him- 
self. He  will  entrust  our  parting  souls  to  His  holy  angels,  who  car- 
ried Lazarus  into  Abraham's  bosom.  Our  friends  will  greet  us  at 
heaven's  gate,  and  lead  us  into  our  everlasting  dwelling.  Praised 
be  Jesus  Christ  for  giving  us  the  comfort  of  life  in  this  world  of 
death ! 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  141 

FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER 
OUR  LORD'S  PRAYER  FOR  HIS  DISCIPLES 

"I  pray  for  them ;  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  them  whom  thou  hast 
given  me,  because  they  are  thine." — John  xvii,  9. 

I.  A  young  man  is  leaving  his  home  to  carry  on  his  studies  in 
some  distant  town.  His  mother  stands  at  the  door  and  watches  him 
go.  He  turns  round  and  sees  her  make  the  Sign  of  the  Cross  over 
him,  before  he  passes  out  of  sight;  he  knows  too  that  she  will  then 
go  to  her  room  and  pour  out  her  heart  in  earnest  prayer  for  him, 
and  that  she  will  do  this  every  day,  so  that  he  will  always  have  the 
support  of  his  mother's  prayers.  They  will  win  for  him  comfort 
and  strength  amidst  the  perils  of  the  life  that  lies  before  him.  When 
St.  Monica  prayed  anxiously  for  her  son,  St.  Augustine,  some  one 
assured  her  that  the  child  of  so  many  prayers  could  not  be  lost.  It 
is  indeed  good  for  a  man  to  know  that  his  mother  prays  for  him. 
We  all  have  advocates  in  heaven.  If  the  saints  in  glory  did  not 
pray  for  their  brethren  on  earth,  there  would  be  no  true  communion 
between  God's  children  here  and  above,  and  the  Church  here  and 
the  Church  above  would  not  be  one  and  the  same.  The  saints  in 
heaven  intercede  for  the  Giurch — this  is  a  truth  that  appeals  to 
every  Catholic,  and  is  acknowledged  even  by  our  separated  brethren. 
It  is  -a  consoling  and  encouraging  truth ;  for  if  the  prayers  of  earthly 
advocates  are  precious,  how  much  more  precious  must  be  those  of 
the  saints  in  glory,  who  understand,  far  better  than  we  do,  how  we 
ought  to  pray!  Most  precious  of  all  is  the  intercession  made  by 
Jesus  Christ  on  our  behalf.  We  learn  from  today's  Gospel  a  little 
about  it,  since  He  prayed  on  earth  for  His  disciples,  and  continues 


142         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

to  do  so  in  heaven.  "He  makes  intercession  for  transgressors" 
(Is.  liii,  12).  He  is  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  and  maketh  interces- 
sion for  us  (Rom.  viii,  34).  He  is  always  living  to  make  interces- 
sion for  us  (Hebr.  vii,  25).  If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate 
with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  just  (i  John  ii,  i).  Thus  His 
disciples  are  sustained  through  life  by  His  intercession,  and  this 
is  so  overpowering  a  thought  that,  if  it  once  is  firmly  grasped  and 
brought  to  bear  upon  our  lives,  it  is  enough  to  remove  all  despon- 
dency and  to  banish  all  fear.  We  may  learn  from  our  Lord's  inter- 
cession what  ought  particularly  to  be  the  object  of  our  prayer. 

2.  What  our  Lord  did  not  ask  for  His  disciples.  He  tells  us  Him- 
self that  He  did  not  ask  that  they  should  be  taken  out  of  the  world. 
They  would  have  desired  to  follow  Him,  and  there  seemed  good 
reason  for  this  wish.  The  world  was  so  powerful,  and  they  were 
so  weak.  The  world  hated  them,  and  the  impending  struggle  threat- 
ened to  be  so  hard  that  victory  was  well-nigh  impossible.  How  could 
they  be  sure  that  they  would  remain  faithful  to  the  end?  Would  it 
not  be  better  for  their  Master  to  secure  their  salvation  at  once? 

No,  such  a  prayer  would  not  be  granted,  for  they  were  not  yet 
ready  to  die.  They  had  to  pass  through  great  tribulation  before 
they  attained  perfection,  and  moreover  our  Lord  needed  them  to 
assist  in  founding  His  kingdom  on  earth,  so  He  did  not  pray  that 
God  might  take  them  out  of  the  world.  Christ  has  had  many  dis- 
ciples who  have  grown  weary  in  the  conflict,  and,  despairing  of  suc- 
cess, have  broken  down  under  the  burden  of  suffering;  in  their 
dread  of  the  future  they  have,  like  the  prophet  Elias,  longed  for 
death,  saying:  "It  is  enough,  O  Lord,  take  away  my  life"  (3  Kings 
xix,  4).  When  we  are  tempted  to  utter  this  prayer,  we  should  ask 
ourselves :  "Am  I  ready  to  die  ?  Has  God  no  further  work  for 
me  to  do  in  this  world  ?"    Although  St.  Paul  desired  most  ardently 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  143 

"to  be  dissolved  and  to  be  with  Christ,"  he  was  perfectly  willing 
"to  abide  still  in  the  flesh"  for  the  sake  of  his  converts  (Phil,  i,  23, 
24).  A  woman,  who  suffered  from  a  painful  and  tedious  malady, 
wrote :  "I  hope  to  live  as  long  as  I  can  be  of  use  to  my  dear  ones, 
and  as  long  as  it  can  be  a  joy  to  my  husband  and  children  to  have  a 
wife  and  a  mother.  .  .  .  One  day  I  fancied  that  our  Lord  said  to 
me:  'Wilt  thou  now  go  to  rest,  thou  weary  child'?  and  I  replied: 
'Lord,  I  have  ever  sought  to  accomplish  the  task  that  Thou  gavest 
me  to  do,  before  lying  down  to  rest,  however  weary  I  may  be.' 
When  the  hour  for  my  departure  comes  I  shall  have  strength  to  for- 
sake everything  in  order  to  be  with  Christ,  which  is  indeed  far  better 
than  this  misery." 

These  words  seem  to  be  a  beautiful  echo  of  St.  Paul's  expres- 
sion. Let  us  not  be  too  eager  to  quit  this  world ;  God  alone  knows 
when  it  is  best  for  us  to  die. 

3.  Our  Lord  prayed  that  His  disciples  might  be  kept  from  evil, 
and  sanctified  in  truth.  He  did  not  pray  that  they  should  be  pre- 
served from  suffering,  in  fact  He  warned  them  that  in  the  world 
they  would  have  tribulation.  The  great  thing  both  in  joy  and  sor- 
row is  to  be  kept  from  real  evil,  i.  e.,  from  all  that  can  injure  the 
soul.  Thus  does  our  Saviour  pray  for  us,  and  thus  should  we  pray 
for  ourselves.  When  we  say:  "Deliver  us  from  evil,"  we  ought 
not  to  think  of  deliverance  from  suffering,  but  of  preservation  from 
all  that  can  imperil  our  salvation.  "Sanctify  them  in  truth."  What 
a  glorious  aim  is  set  before  us  in  these  words !  We  are  to  think, 
not  of  money  and  earthly  possessions,  but  of  purity  of  mind  and 
body,  and  increasing  sanctity  of  heart  and  life.  It  may  even  be 
unprofitable  for  us  to  acquire  truth,  if  we  regard  it  merely  as  an 
object  of  knowledge,  and  seek  it  only  in  order  to  gratify  our  thirst 
for  information.     The  disciples  were  to  be  sanctified  in  truth,  and 


144         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

we  shall  make  a  right  use  of  truth  only  if  it  is  to  us  a  means  of 
greater  sanctification.  To  ascertain  whether  we  are  on  the  right 
oath  or  not,  we  need  but  consider  whether  our  knowledge  of  truth 
exalts  or  humiliates  us  in  our  own  sight. 

When  we  think  of  purity  and  sanctification,  we  feel  inclined  to 
exclaim  like  St.  Paul :  "Unhappy  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver 
me  from  the  body  of  this  death?"  (Rom.  vii,  24).  How  can  I  ever 
attain  to  true  purity  and  holiness?  But  every  one,  who  is  really 
striving  to  do  his  best,  may  console  himself  with  the  thought  that 
in  time  he  will  succeed,  because  Christ  is  ever  praying  for  his  sancti- 
fication. 

4.  Our  Lord  prayed  for  unity  among  His  disciples.  The  follow- 
ers of  Jesus  Christ  are  united  with  Him  in  faith  and  charity,  and 
He  prayed  that  they  might  be  united  with  one  another  in  a  bond 
as  close  as  that  existing  between  the  Father  and  the  Son.  "I 
pray  .  .  .  that  they  all  may  be  one,  as  Thou,  Father,  in  me,  and  I 
in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us."  The  frequency  with 
which  our  Lord  reverted  to  the  idea  of  unity  shows  how  much  im- 
portance He  attached  to  it.  St.  Paul  knew  no  "consolation  in 
Christ,"  no  "comfort  of  charity"  more  calculated  to  fulfil  his  joy, 
than  the  sight  of  his  converts  agreeing  in  opinion,  charity  and  senti- 
ment (Phil,  ii,  I,  2).  Consequently  when  we  see  strife,  discord, 
intolerance  and  fanaticism  prevailing  amongst  men  who  call  them- 
selves Christians,  we  are  tempted  to  suppose  that  they  can  never 
have  heard  of  our  Lord's  prayer  or  of  St.  Paul's  exhortation.  There 
must  be  an  end  of  all  divisions  if  there  is  to  be  one  flock.  There 
seems  but  little  prospect  of  this,  for  men  are  proud  and  obstinate, 
and  fancy  themselves  wise,  and,  consequently.  Christians  are  divided 
into  many  hostile  camps,  instead  of  being  of  one  heart  and  one 
mind.    Hatred  prevails  where  love  should  reign  supreme,  and  per- 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  FASTER  145 

secution  has  taken  the  place  of  mutual  support  and  protection. 
When  we  consider  the  state  of  Christendom  at  the  present  time,  we 
feel  inclined  to  cry  with  the  Psalmist :  "O  for  the  wings  of  a  dove, 
that  I  might  fly  away  and  find  rest!" — away  from  the  land  of  strife 
and  discord  to  the  abode  of  peace  and  charity,  for  which  I  yearn. 

How  does  it  behoove  us  to  act  ?  Many  suggestions  might  be  made, 
but  today  I  will  only  urge  you  to  pray  earnestly  for  a  new  Pentecost, 
a  fresh  outpouring  of  the  spirit  of  humility  and  love.  Without  it 
we  are  like  chaff  carried  by  the  wind,  and  have  no  strength  to  with- 
stand the  world.  We  must  pray  for  unity  among  Christians,  and  a 
prayer  for  unity  ought  to  be  offered  daily  by  every  follower  of 
Christ.  If  all  the  children  of  Holy  Church  send  up  this  petition 
to  heaven  day  by  day,  it  cannot  fail  to  be  heard,  and  we  may  derive 
additional  comfort  and  confidence  from  the  thought  that  in  pray- 
ing thus  we  are  joining  in  our  Saviour's  prayer  for  us.  We  will 
never  abandon  hope  therefore,  since  His  prayer  must  be  granted. 

5.  Our  Lord  prayed  that  His  disciples  wight  have  joy.  "That 
they  may  have  my  joy  filled  in  themselves."  At  first  sight  we 
might  think  that  our  Lord  had  prayed  in  vain,  for  where  in  this 
wicked  world  is  perfect  joy  to  be  found?  Surely  such  a  joy  is  un- 
attainable by  Christ's  followers,  since  they  realize  the  evil  of  the 
world,  and  perceive  the  sin  and  guilt  about  which  the  world  troubles 
so  little.  It  seems  almost  incongruous  to  speak  of  joy,  and  we  fancy 
perhaps  that  gladness  is  the  mark  of  superficiality,  whilst  a  kind  of 
melancholy  is  more.in  keeping  with  depth  of  character. 

It  is  certain  that  Christ's  disciples  know  what  sorrow  and  grief 
are,  because  they  understand,  better  than  others,  the  malice  of  sin. 
Yet  at  the  same  time  none  feel  such  true  and  profound  happiness, 
as  they  do,  because  they  know  their  Saviour,  the  Friend  of  sinners, 
more  intimately  than  others  know  Him.    The  joy  that  He  desires 


146         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

His  followers  to  possess  is  not  the  thoughtless  merriment  of  world- 
lings, which  is  only  too  apt  to  give  place  to  disappointment  and 
despondency,  or  even  despair.  Our  Lord  prayed  that  they  might 
have  His  joy,  that  they  might  rejoice  as  He  did.  His  joy  was  that 
of  the  Lamb  of  God,  whose  life  was  one  of  sacrifice  and  suffering; 
yet  even  sacrifice  and  suffering  were  not  incompatible  with  deep, 
heartfelt  joy,  since  He  had  in  view  the  victory  to  be  won  by  their 
means. 

A  Christian,  who  is  at  peace  with  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  pos- 
sesses an  unfailing  source  of  joy,  far  surpassing  the  happiness  of 
this  world.  His  life  often  abounds  in  sacrifices  and  sufferings, 
which  may  repress  all  outward  manifestation  of  happiness,  and  yet 
deep  in  his  heart  he  knows  that  it  is  an  honor  to  him  to  bear  and 
sacrifice  anything  for  Christ's  sake,  and  he  feels  a  joy  of  which  the 
world  has  no  conception,  and  which  may  rightly  be  called  the  joy 
of  Christ  Himself;  it  is  a  foretaste  in  this  sorrowful  world  of  the 
eternal  joy  of  heaven.  At  such  moments,  rare  though  they  may  be, 
a  Christian  has  his  Lord's  joy  "filled  in  himself."  We  must  not  ex- 
pect this  joy  too  frequently;  it  will  come  whenever  we  really  need 
it.  As  a  rule,  however,  we  have  to  rejoice  in  hope  (Rom.  xii,  12), 
the  hope  of  the  glory  of  the  sons  of  God  (Rom.  v,  2).  We  are  sure 
that  our  hope  will  not  be  disappointed,  because  our  Lord  prayed 
that  we  might  have  joy.  The  world  with  all  its  deceits  and  illusions, 
its  paltry  joys  and  bitter  disappointments  can  offer  us  nothing  com- 
parable with  this  hope  of  glory  (Col.  i,  27). 

No  Christian  would  exchange  this  joy  of  hope  for  the  superficial 
and  transitory  delights  of  those  who  may  indeed  possess  much  that 
we  cannot  have,  but  to  whom  hope,  that  most  indispensable  of  all 
good  things,  is  lacking. 


TIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  147 

FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER 
UNITY 

"I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me;  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one,  and 
the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and  hast  loved  them,  as  thou 
hast  also  loved  me." — John  xvii,  23. 

The  thoughts  expressed  in  today's  Gospel  are  so  profound  that 
it  seems  almost  presumptuous  to  explain  them  by  clothing  them  in 
other  words. 

I.  Suppose  that  you  have  a  wise  and  holy  friend,  who  knows 
you  as  thoroughly  as  it  is  possible  for  one  man  to  know  another  in 
this  world.  Being  wise,  he  knows  what  is  to  your  advantage,  and 
you  rely  completely  upon  his  opinion.  Being  holy,  he  desires  your 
true  welfare  more  ardently  than  any  one  else.  If  you  are  indeed  a 
Christian,  would  you  not  be  glad  to  know  that  such  a  friend  is  pray- 
ing for  you?  Would  you  not  like  to  hear  what  he  asks  on  your 
behalf?  Would  you  not  be  sure  that  he  begs  God  to  give  you  the 
best  gifts  of  grace?  Would  you  not  learn  from  his  petitions  what 
is  really  expedient  for  you  and  what  tends  to  your  peace  of  mind? 
Of  course  you  would.  But  now  suppose  that  the  friend  who  prayed 
for  you  was  no  living  man,  but  an  inhabitant  of  heaven  who  had 
loved  you  dearly  here  on  earth,  and  now  loves  you  in  God's  presence ; 
his  wisdom  and  sanctity  are  now  heavenly,  not  earthly.  Would  you 
not  esteem  it  a  great  happiness  to  hear  the  prayer  of  this  happy  soul, 
and  to  know  that  your  friend  is  not  only  praying  for  you,  but  is  ask- 
ing for  what  it  is  most  expedient  for  you  to  have  ?  Would  you  not 
do  your  best  to  ask  for  and  secure  the  gift  that  he  knows  will  be 
good  for  you  ? 


148         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

Holy  Scripture  tells  us  that  we  all  possess  a  friend  infinitely  wiser 
and  holier  than  all  other  friends,  however  excellent,  on  earth  or  in 
heaven.  He  knows  us  perfectly,  and  therefore  He  knows  what  we 
really  need.  This  friend  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Re- 
deemer of  the  world.  We  know  that  He  prays  for  transgressors, 
and  that,  although  we  have  sinned,  He  is  our  Advocate  with  the 
Father,  the  high  priest  ever  living  to  make  intercession  for  us. 

Now  if  we  are  glad  to  have  a  friend  on  earth  to  pray  for  us,  and 
still  more  glad  to  have  friends  in  heaven,  what  inexpressible  joy 
ought  we  to  feel  at  having  a  Mediator  ever  at  God's  right  hand !  He 
that  standeth  firm  should  rejoice  at  having  One  who  supports  him, 
lest  he  should  fall;  he  that  has  fallen  should  rejoice,  because  there 
is  One  who  will  help  him  to  rise  again.  Praised  be  Jesus  Christ,  our 
Advocate  with  the  Father ! 

2.  We  may  well  desire  to  hear  His  prayer,  and  to  learn  what 
favor  He  begs  for  us ;  we  would  fain  stand  for  a  moment  before 
the  throne  of  grace,  and  then  resume  the  conflict,  knowing  with  cer- 
tainty the  things  that  are  to  our  peace.  The  idea  seems  fantastic 
perhaps,  but  it  is  not  so,  for  to-day's  Gospel  reveals  to  us  the  Son 
of  God,  praying  for  His  friends ;  we  can  really  hear  the  petitions 
that  He  once  offered  and  still  offers  for  them,  for  in  Him  is  no 
change  and  no  shadow  of  alteration. 

3.  He  prays  that  His  followers  may  be  one  in  God ;  that  is  to  say, 
He  prays  for  the  unity  of  Christians  and  of  the  Church.  This  may 
seem  unimportant  to  a  man  who  desires  discord  rather  than  har- 
mony, and  who  regards  the  unity  of  the  Church  as  a  Platonic  state, 
an  ideal  condition  incapable  of  realization  in  this  world.  It  appears 
however  of  incalculable  value  to  anyone  who  sees  with  dismay  the 
quarrels  and  divisions  that  now  exist,  and  who  clings  to  the  hope 
of  eventual  harmony. 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  149 

Since  our  divine  Advocate  prays  for  unity  as  a  most  precious 
gift,  we  must  believe  that  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  for  us,  and 
we  shall  readily  acknowledge  that  it  is  so,  if  we  reflect  on  what  it 
means — "that  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  in  me,  and  I  in 
thee ;  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us." 

This  unity  is  great  in  its  origin,  for  our  Lord  tells  us  how  it  comes 
into  being:  "The  glory  which  thou  has  given  me,  I  have  given  to 
them,  that  they  may  be  one,  as  we  also  are  one ;  I  in  them,  and 
thou  in  me."  Jesus  Christ  Himself  with  His  glory  abides  in  all 
His  friends,  and  is  the  bond  of  union  between  them.  If  only  we 
understand  all  that  these  words  convey,  we  shall  appreciate  the  true 
and  surpassing  value  of  unity.  Christ's  friends  are  united  with 
Him  by  His  divine  Spirit,  which  He  promised  to  send  them,  and 
which  dwells  within  them.  They  are  further  united  with  Him  by 
His  glorified  nature,  which  He  bestows  upon  them  in  His  sacred 
Body  and  Blood.  In  this  way  they  become,  as  St.  Peter  says,  par- 
takers of  the  divine  nature  (2  Peter  i,  4),  and  have  a  share,  not  only 
in  God's  gifts  and  happiness,  but  in  God  Himself.  Regarded  thus, 
unity  is  seen  to  be  indeed  a  very  great  thing ! 

It  is,  however,  great  in  its  effects,  no  less  than  in  its  origin.  Our 
Lord  prays  for  His  friends  to  be  united  "that  the  world  may  know 
that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and  hast  loved  them,  as  thou  hast  also 
loved  me."  We  cannot  suppose  that  unity  is  something  to  be  re- 
alized only  in  the  next  life,  for  our  Lord's  words  show  clearly  that 
He  desires  it  to  be  a  force  capable  of  overcoming  the  world,  and  of 
constraining  all  men  to  believe  in  Him.  How  can  unity  accomplish 
this  task?  It  can  do  so  only  if  it  is  unity  in  Christ.  The  more  thor- 
oughly His  friends  are  filled  with  His  spirit,  and  with  charity,  which 
is  the  bond  of  union,  the  more  perfectly  they  take  on  His  divine 
and  human  nature,  and  the  more  truly  they  are  united  in  and  with 


ISO         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

Him,  the  better  will  the  world  perceive  Him  in  them — the  unseen, 
heavenly  Master  in  the  visible  body  of  his  Church  on  earth.  In  this 
way  unity  in  Christ  becomes  a  power  able  to  overcome  the  world, 
and  we  can  well  understand  why  quarrels  and  divisions  among 
Christians  cause  many  to  deny  and  abandon  the  faith,  because  they 
cannot  perceive  our  Lord  in  those  who  are  called  by  His  name.  Some 
people  in  their  disgust  at  the  divided  state  of  Christendom  assume 
nothing  else  to  be  possible  in  this  world,  but  look  forward  to  re- 
union as  an  aim  attainable  only  in  heaven,  and  needing  a  miracle 
of  divine  omnipotence  for  its  production.  Such  people  have  a  very 
inadequate  conception  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

When  our  Lord  spoke  of  the  kingdom  divided  against  itself,  He 
was  not  alluding  to  His  Church.  On  the  contrary,  He  declared  that 
the  power  of  hell  should  never  prevail  against  her,  and  that  power 
invariably  attempts  to  sow  the  seed  of  discord  among  His  followers. 
The  Church  appeared  in  the  history  of  the  world  as  a  community 
of  free  and  rational  human  beings.  Such  a  society  is  always 
destined  to  develop,  and  the  Church  was  no  exception  to  this  rule. 
If  we  suppose  that  at  her  birth  the  most  perfect  harmony  prevailed, 
but  that  she  is  destined  to  perish  in  confusion  and  disputes,  which 
will  be  terminated  by  God  only  after  the  end  of  the  world — if,  I 
repeat,  this  is  our  idea  of  the  Church,  we  certainly  have  an  un- 
worthy conception  of  Christ's  own,  fairest  institution.  Her  move- 
ment through  the  ages  would  be  retrograde;  she  would  be  like  a 
crab,  going  backwards,  whereas  it  behooves  her  to  advance.  No,  it 
is  impossible  for  the  Church  to  have  begun  in  unity  and  to  end  in 
discord.  If  we  imagine  a  state  or  society  advancing  in  everything 
except  unity,  we  are  imagining  an  impossibility,  for  a  society  devoid 
of  unity  is  a  contradiction  in  terms;  and  this  is  what  our  Saviour 
wished  to  impress  upon  us  when  He  spoke  of  the  fall  of  the  kingdom 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER  151 

divided  against  itself.  Unity  is  a  characteristic  of  the  Church,  and 
without  it  she  cannot  exist.  That  she  has  suffered  great  losses  in 
consequence  cannot  be  denied,  for  whole  nations  have  severed  their 
organic  connexion  with  her,  though  they  may  be  won  back  in  time. 

Finally,  our  Lord's  prayer  for  the  unity  of  the  Church  is  a  guaran- 
tee that,  when  He  comes  again  in  visible  form,  He  will  find  one 
flock ;  the  Bridegroom  will  have  but  one  bride.  Relying  on  this  hope, 
and  knowing  that  our  Master  wishes  us  to  cooperate  with  Him  in 
effecting  its  realization,  we  ought  all  to  stand  firmly  united,  and 
pray  daily,  as  He  prayed,  ut  omnes  unum  sint,  that  all  men  may  be 
one. 


152         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

THE  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  ASCENSION 

THE  DESTINY  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  WORLD 

"But  when  the  Paraclete  cometh,  whom  I  will  send  you  from  the  Father, 
the  Spirit  of  truth,  who  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he  shall  give  testimony 
of  me." — John  xv,  26. 

Our  Lord's  own  fate  foreshadowed  the  destiny  of  His  Church; 
hatred  and  persecution  would  be  followed  by  ultimate  triumph. 

I.  Hatred  and  persecution. — Jesus  Christ  was  meek  and  gentle 
of  heart;  He  went  about  doing  good  to  the  sick,  the  poor  and  the 
suffering;  He  sought  not  His  own  glory,  but  patiently  endured 
humiliation  for  the  truth's  sake ;  He  aimed  at  no  worldly  advantage, 
and  was  so  poor  that  He  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head;  and  He 
sacrificed  honor,  happiness  and  life  itself  to  save  sinners.  And  yet 
no  one  was  ever  more  bitterly  hated.  He  had  indeed .  some  few 
friends,  but  most  people  detested  Him,  especially  the  ruling  classes, 
whose  hatred  finally  brought  about  His  death. 

This  is  a  fact  full  of  significance,  and  His  kingdom,  the  Church, 
has  at  all  times  shared  His  fate.  He  foretold  that  this  should  be 
the  case,  and  from  the  very  beginning  she  has  been  hated  and  per- 
secuted, although  her  members  led  honest  and  Godfearing  lives,  fol- 
lowing their  Master's  example,  and  desiring,  like  Him,  to  save 
souls  and  make  men  happy  in  this  world  and  the  next.  Their  re- 
ward has  always  been  hatred  and  persecution,  and  it  is  the  same 
still,  although  our  enemies  now  have  recourse  to  other  means,  and 
have  discarded  the  rack  and  the  gallows.  Never  have  they  been 
more  successful  among  the  masses,  and  especially  amongst  those 
who  now  possess  the  ruling  power. 


THE  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  ASCENSION  153 

If  the  Church,  when  suffering  from  the  world's  hostiHty,  had 
had  no  other  consolation  than  the  knowledge  that  after  all  she  was 
but  sharing  her  Master's  lot,  this  alone  would  have  sufficed  to  en- 
courage her.  It  is  absolutely  certain  that  our  Saviour  was  hated, 
although  He  had  right  on  His  side,  yes,  although  He  was  Himself 
the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life. 

In  the  same  way  the  Church  may  comfort  herself  with  the  thought 
that  the  hatred  of  the  world  and  the  falling  away  of  whole  nations 
furnish  no  evidence  against  her  possession  of  the  truth,  nor  against 
St.  Paul's  assertion  that  she  is  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth 
(i  Tim.  iii,  15).  The  same  thought  affords  consolation  to  every 
one  who  takes  part  in  the  work  of  making  known  the  truth.  We 
are  apt  to  despond  if  the  masses  turn  against  us,  and  we  may  even 
doubt  doctrines  that  we  once  preached  with  ardent  faith  and  en- 
thusiasm. It  seems  so  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  majority 
must  have  right  on  their  side ;  that  they  have  power  is  an  unques- 
tionable fact,  and  we  are  timid,  and  like  to  sail  with  the  tide.  If 
Christ  had  acted  thus,  He  would  have  ruined  His  cause,  and  the 
same  may  be  said  of  the  Church.  No  one  ever  had  the  tide  more 
completely  against  Him  than  our  Lord,  and  in  every  age  the 
Church  has  encountered  opposition.  May  we  not  think  that  this 
has  been  the  case  precisely  because  she  possesses  the  truth? 

Let  us  adhere  loyally  to  the  truth  that  we  have  received  and  be 
faithful  to  the  teaching  of  Christ  and  His  Church,  even  though  the 
majority  is  against  us,  and  we  have  to  endure  to  some  slight  extent 
the  scorn  and  opposition  of  the  world.  Bitterness,  ill  will  and 
hatred  on  the  part  of  persecutors  are  apt  to  call  forth  the  same 
feelings  on  that  of  their  victims;  but  if  we  yield  to  such  emotions, 
we  shall  be  condemned  with  our  opponents.  Jesus  Christ  accepted 
the  bitterness  and  hatred  of  His  enemies  with  gentleness  and  humil- 


154         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

ity,  looking  upon  them  as  a  cross  that  could  never  crush  His  char- 
ity. Let  us  follow  His  example,  lest  we  be  carried  away  by  the 
tide,  and  perish  like  the  children  of  this  world!  I  said  just  now 
that  the  Church  of  Christ  may  have  encountered  the  world's  oppo- 
sition precisely  because  she  possesses  the  truth.  This  is  really  the 
case,  and  she  may  derive  great  consolation  from  it.  Jesus  Christ, 
who  is  the  Truth,  came  to  the  world  and  to  His  own,  and  they 
received  Him  not,  because  they  loved  darkness  rather  than  light. 
Why  are  most  men  hostile  to  Christ  and  His  Church?  Do  they 
know  the  truth  better  than  our  Lord  ?  No ;  it  is  because  the  world 
hates  the  truth,  that  it  also  hates  Christ  and  His  Church.  Why 
does  it  hate  the  truth?  Our  Lord  gives  the  answer  in  to-day's 
gospel:  "Because  they  have  not  known  the  Father  nor  me."  Is 
their  ignorance  excusable  ?  No ;  He  is  speaking  of  those  who  have 
every  opportunity  of  knowing  the  Father  and  the  Son,  but  never- 
theless shut  their  eyes  to  the  truth,  as  they  have  an  instinctive  feel- 
ing that  it  would  cost  them  something  to  recognize  it.  They  refuse 
to  admit  its  supremacy,  because  it  would  interfere  with  their  com- 
fort and  with  the  worldly  amusements  in  which  they  delight,  and 
would  require  of  them  self-sacrifice  and  fidelity  even  unto  death. 
This  is  the  real  reason  why  most  people  hate  the  truth  and  the 
Church  of  Christ;  and  we  can  easily  understand  the  motive  under- 
lying their  hatred.  A  perception  of  this  fact  should  make  us 
stronger  and  more  resolute  to  fight  in  defence  of  what  we  know  to 
be  the  truth. 

II.  Victory. — ^The  thing  that  gives  Christ's  followers  peculiar 
courage  and  strength  in  conflict,  is  the  certainty  that,  in  spite  of  all 
opposition,  their  cause  will  ultimately  prevail.  Our  Saviour  tri- 
umphed, though  He  was  apparently  overcome,  and  the  Church, 
being  His  own  institution,  must,  like  Him,  eventually  triumph;  did 


THE  SUNDAY  AFTER  THE  ASCENSION  155 

He  not  promise  that  the  gates  of  hell  should  never  prevail  against 
her? 

She  will  triumph,  not  merely  in  spite  of  opposition,  but  to  a  great 
extent  through  opposition.  When  our  Saviour  hung  bleeding  and 
dying  on  the  Cross,  His  enemies  exulted  in  their  victory.  But  His 
death  is  our  life,  this  apparent  defect  is  the  triumph  of  eternal 
truth  over  the  powers  of  death  and  falsehood.  His  foes  became  the 
means  whereby  were  secured  our  Lord's  own  triumph,  the  over- 
throw of  death  and  our  salvation.  This  furnishes  the  Church  of 
Christ  with  a  guarantee  that  she  will  finally  overcome  the  same 
enemies ;  and  history  records  many  instances  in  which  she  has  come 
forth  victorious.  At  the  time  when  men  believed  themselves  to  be 
doing  God  service  by  persecuting  His  followers,  and  when  the  blood 
of  martyrs  was  flowing  freely,  the  Church  grew  and  prospered. 
The  martyrs'  blood  did  not  choke  the  good  seed,  but  fertilized  it. 

The  same  law  still  holds  good.  Just  as  an  individual  gains  cour- 
age and  strength  through  meeting  with  opposition,  so  does  the 
Church.  At  the  present  time  she  has  to  encounter  most  bitter  hos- 
tility, but  she  will  triumph,  on  account  of  it  as  well  as  in  spite  of  it. 


156         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

PENTECOST 
THE   HOLY   GHOST 

"I  am  the  true  vine,  and  my  Father  is  the  husbandman." — John  xv,  I. 

The  three  chief  festivals  of  the  Church  are  Hke  three  precious 
stones,  all  of  equal  beauty  and  value,  but  each  possessing  its  own 
peculiar  color  and  charm.  Christmas  reminds  us  of  the  Father, 
who  sent  His  Son  into  the  world  for  its  redemption.  There  can  be 
nothing  greater  or  more  glorious  than  this  gift,  and  therefore 
"Blessed  be  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  now  and  for- 
evermore."  But  what  would  Christmas  be  without  Easter — the  resur- 
rection of  our  crucified  Saviour?  What  benefit  should  we  derive 
from  the  coming  of  God  the  Son  into  this  world,  if  He  had  not 
died  for  our  sins  and  risen  again  from  the  dead?  There  can  be 
nothing  greater  and  more  glorious  than  His  death  and  resurrection, 
therefore  "Blessed  be  Jesus  Christ,  now  and  for  evermore."  But 
what  would  Easter  be  without  Pentecost  ?  What  significance  would 
our  Lord's  death  and  Resurrection  have  had  for  us  without  the 
Holy  Ghost,  who  alone  can  bring  us  to  Christ?  Without  the  gift 
bestowed  at  Pentecost  we  should  have  no  faith  in  Christ,  nor 
should  we  be  united  with  Him,  for  we  owe  both  our  faith  and  our 
union  with  Him  to  the  Holy  Ghost.  There  can  be  nothing  greater 
and  more  glorious  than  this  faith  and  union, — therefore,  "Blessed 
be  the  Holy  Ghost,  now  and  for  evermore." 

I.  We  are  keeping  the  feast  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  yet  there  is 
no  allusion  to  Him  in  our  text,  at  least  no  explicit  allusion;  but 
when  our  Lord  speaks  of  Himself  as  the  vine,  and  of  His  disciples 


PENTECOST  157 

as  the  branches,  we  may  believe  the  Holy  Ghost  to  be  the  sap, 
flowing  from  the  root  and  stem  to  every  leaf  and  tendril,  and  con- 
veying life  and  strength  to  every  part.  This  is  a  token,  which  it  is 
most  important  for  us  to  observe,  of  our  possession  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  of  our  union  with  Christ,  We  ought  to  notice  in  the 
first  place  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  spirit  of  sanctity,  without 
which  no  one  can  see  God.  Hence,  St.  Peter  reminds  the  early 
Christians :  *'It  is  written,  'you  shall  be  holy,  for  I  am  holy' "  ( i 
Peter  i,  16).  We  cannot  have  the  spirit  of  God,  nor  can  we  be 
united  with  Christ  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  unless  we  are  striving  to  be 
holy.  This  sanctity  is  the  fruit  of  which  our  Saviour  spoke  when 
He  said  that  His  followers  should  bring  forth  much  fruit.  He  who 
brings  forth  none,  will  be  cast  out  as  a  barren  and  unproductive 
branch,  and  thrown  into  the  fire.  Is  not  this  a  stringent  order  re- 
quiring us  to  aim  at  holiness  of  life? 

Many  desire  forgiveness  of  sins  and  speak  of  its  necessity,  and 
they  think  Christianity  exists  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  enable 
them  to  obtain  pardon.  Suppose  a  son  offends  his  father  grievously, 
and  then  asks  for  and  receives  forgiveness.  This  happens  again 
and  again ;  but  the  young  man  is  satisfied  when  he  is  pardoned ;  he 
never  attempts  to  improve,  or  to  avoid  giving  offence  in  future, 
and  goes  on  wounding  his  parents  by  his  wickedness.  Surely  he  is 
a  worthless  wretch.  In  the  same  way,  a  kind  of  Christianity  that 
stops  short  at  faith  in  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  never  aims  at 
sanctity,  is  a  miserable  thing,  devoid  of  the  spirit  of  God,  for  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  a  Spirit  of  sanctity. 

Christ  desires  us  to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  a  holy  life,  i.  e.,  He 
wishes  us  gradually  to  improve,  to  grow  more  just  and  charitable  in 
our  dealings  with  others,  more  humble  and  severe  in  judging  our- 
selves.    Do  those  who  call  themselves  Christians  invariably  display 


158         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

these  characteristics?  If  you  are  uncharitable,  irritable,  untrust- 
worthy, harsh  towards  others,  self-satisfied  and  self-indulgent,  there 
is  much  reason  to  fear  that  your  profession  of  Christianity  is  vain, 
and  that  you  do  not  possess  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  are  not  united  with 
Christ  in  that  Spirit. 

II.  We  must  note  further  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  speaking  to  us  in  the  word  of  God.  Hence  Christ  bids  us 
*'continue  in  His  word,"  i.  e.,  in  the  word  of  God.  Unless  we  act 
thus,  we  shall  not  possess  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  must  continue  in 
the  word,  not  hear  or  read  it  just  once  or  twice,  but  study  it  with 
persevering  zeal.  We  must  read  it  in  our  homes,  and  hear  it  in 
God's  house,  regularly  and  carefully,  otherwise  we  are  not  con- 
tinuing in  the  word.  If  God's  word  is  not  familiar  to  us,  we  become 
estranged  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  bears  testimony  through  the 
word,  especially  in  God's  house. 

III.  God's  Spirit  is  the  Spirit  of  prayer,  and  in  the  gospel 
Christ  urges  us  to  pray,  and  promises  that  we  shall  be  heard. 
Where  prayer  is  unknown,  the  Spirit  of  God  is  absent,  for  wherever 
it  is  present,  it  impels  men  to  pray.  Our  Lord  does  not  merely 
invite  us  to  pray,  He  demands  it  of  us  as  a  duty,  inseparable  from 
the  worship  of  God.  He  wishes  us  to  honor  Him  by  offering  Him 
praise,  thanksgiving  and  prayer.  He  bids  us  regard  His  house  as  a 
house  of  prayer,  the  place  where  He  will  accept  the  worship  of  our 
hearts  and  lips.  Consequently  where  the  churches  stand  empty, 
the  hearts  of  men  are  undoubtedly  devoid  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
are  not  in  union  with  Christ. 

IV.  The  spirit  of  God  is  the  Spirit  of  love,  and  Jesus  Christ  re- 
quires love  of  us.  He  says :  "Abide  in  my  love."  Absence  of  love 
denotes  absence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  always  inspires  love.  We 
cannot  evade  our  Lord's  claim  upon  our  love;  we  ought  to  love 


PENTECOST  iSg 

Him  more  than  father,  or  mother,  or  wife,  or  child.  I  remember 
how,  when  I  was  a  child,  this  commandment  filled  me  with  fear, 
for  it  seemed  to  me  impossible  not  to  love  my  mother  best  of  all, 
and  yet  God  required  me  to  love  Him  still  more.  God  commands  us 
to  love  Him,  so  it  is  our  duty  to  obey.  For  our  consolation,  how- 
ever. He  tells  us  how  this  can  be  done :  "He  that  hath  my  command- 
ments, and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me."  "If  you  keep 
my  commandments,  you  shall  abide  in  my  love."  Our  Lord  does 
not  care  about  our  feelings,  which  are  not  under  our  own  control, 
and  which  have  no  permanence;  but  He  wants  us  honestly  to  re- 
solve to  keep  His  commandments,  to  do  our  duty  and  to  accom- 
plish His  will,  although  we  may  do  so  only  very  imperfectly,  for 
all  human  actions  are  necessarily  imperfect.  This  is  the  love  that 
He  claims,  and  any  one  who  Intends  to  give  it  Him,  receives  grace 
and  strength.  I  remember  distinctly  the  happiness  that  I  felt,  when 
this  doctrine  concerning  the  duty  of  loving  God  was  explained  to 
me.  The  Spirit  of  God  assists  everyone  who  strives  to  do  and  be 
what  our  Saviour  desires.  Hence  the  commandment  of  love  alarms 
hypocrites,  who  talk  a  great  deal  about  their  emotions,  and  take  no 
pains  to  please  our  Lord.  Here  again  is  consolation  for  honest 
though  timid  souls ;  for  they  must  be  aware  that  they  desire  nothing 
so  ardently  as  to  be  able  to  say,  with  St.  Peter :  "Lord,  Thou  know- 
est  that  I  love  Thee,"  and  to  do  God's  will,  imperfectly  perhaps,  but 
still  as  well  as  they  can. 

Therefore,  if  the  Spirit  of  Pentecost  is  to  dwell  within  us,  we 
must  be  in  earnest  about  our  own  sanctification ;  we  must  continue 
in  God's  word ;  we  must  lead  a  life  of  prayer  in  our  homes  as  well 
as  at  church ;  and  we  must  love  God  by  striving  to  obey  Him  and 
to  do  our  duty.  All  these  things  involve  much  effort  on  our  part, 
and  we  should  ever  bear  in  mind  our  Saviour's  words :  "Without  me 


i6o     CATHOLIC   CHRISTIANITY   AND    THE   MODERN    WORLD 

ye  can  do  nothing."  To  boast  of  our  own  powers  and  merits 
would  be  as  foolish  as  for  a  little  branch  of  a  vine  to  boast  of  the 
grapes  that  hang  upon  it.  All  the  credit  of  producing  good  fruit 
belongs  to  the  vine  and  to  the  sap  that  flows  through  the  branches, 
and,  in  the  same  way,  all  the  credit  of  whatever  good  there  may  be 
in  our  lives  belongs  to  Christ  and  His  Holy  Spirit,  which  permeates 
the  whole  body  of  the  Church.  Without  Him  we  can  indeed  do 
nothing,  but  it  is  our  fault  if  we  are  unfruitful  branches ;  the  cause 
of  unfruitfulness  is  always  the  same, — refusal  to  abide  in  Christ. 


TRINITY  SUNDAY  i6i 

TRINITY  SUNDAY 

BAPTISM,    LAW    AND    THE    CHURCH 

"Going  therefore  teach  ye  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost." — Alatt.  xxviii,  19. 

The  days  of  our  Lord's  glorified  life  on  earth  were  drawing  to  a 
close;  His  great  task  of  redemption  had  been  completed  on  Cal- 
vary, and  solemnly  recognized  by  Almighty  God  on  Easter  day. 
The  Church  was  founded,  her  corner-stone  was  laid,  and  the  outline 
of  her  future  development  was  sketched.  Now  our  Divine  Saviour 
was  about  to  take  leave  of  this  world,  and  especially  of  His  chosen 
Apostles,  who  were  thenceforth  to  enter  upon  their  inheritance,  and 
carry  to  every  land  the  seed  that  He  had  sown  with  His  words  and 
watered  with  His  Blood.  "More  than  five  hundred  brethren"  (i 
Cor.  XV,  6)  were  assembled  on  the  mountain  in  Galilee,  eagerly 
awaiting  the  coming  of  their  risen  Lord.  Suddenly  He  stood  before 
them,  and  the  Apostles  fell  to  the  ground  in  adoration,  for  their 
faith  would  never  waver  again,  but  others,  who  had  not  yet  seen 
Him  since  His  resurrection,  still  doubted  whether  it  were  indeed 
their  Master  whom  they  beheld.  He  fixed  His  eyes  upon  the  Apos- 
tles, and  said  solemnly:  "All  power  is  given  to  me  in  heaven  and 
in  earth.  Going  therefore  teach  ye  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you ;  and  behold  I  am  with  you  all  days,  even  to  the  consummation 
of  the  world."  In  these  words  our  Redeemer  conferred  upon  His 
Apostles  their  threefold  office,  and  commissioned  them  to  be  teach- 
ers, priests  and  shepherds  of  our  ransomed  race.  Yet  not  of  them 
alone   did    He   think ;   He   had    in    mind    all   who   should    succeed 


i62     AND    THE  MODERN   WORLD     CATHOLIC   CHRISTIANITY 

the  Apostles  and  carry  on  their  work,  for  He  spoke  of  all  nations, 
and  of  their  task  being  continued   until   the   end  of  the   world. 

I.  Baptism. — Baptism  effects  the  inward  and  outward  incorpo- 
ration of  men  into  God's  Kingdom.  It  was  natural  therefore  that 
our  Lord,  when  solemnly  sending  out  the  Apostles  to  found  this 
kingdom,  should  order  them  to  baptize  all  nations.  This  fact  ought 
to  be  seriously  considered  by  those  who  profess  to  see  nothing  in 
holy  Baptism  but  a  meaningless  ceremony,  as  well  as  by  those  who 
think  that  it  is  merely  a  symbolical  rite,  typifying  the  purification  of 
the  soul. 

No ;  at  our  Baptism  we  are  really  cleansed  from  sin,  which  is  an 
obstacle  to  our  admission  to  God's  kingdom;  we  are  really  made 
members  of  Christ  and  His  Church. 

Baptism  is  not  a  mere  type  of  sanctification,  but  actually  renders 
us  holy,  and  therefore  it  is  of  the  very  highest  importance.  We 
bring  our  children  to  be  baptized,  and  it  behooves  us  further  to  re- 
member, as  they  grow  up,  that  they  are  Christ's  disciples.  It  is 
possible,  of  course,  to  have  what  may  be  called  an  exaggerated  view 
of  Baptism,  and  to  imagine  that  any  one  who  has  received  this 
Sacrament  need  trouble  no  more  about  his  salvation.  Such  a  view 
is  completely  mistaken,  and  perhaps  not  many  people  fall  into  such 
a  disastrous  error;  we  more  frequently  meet  those  who  underesti- 
mate the  importance  of  Baptism. 

To  our  sorrow  we  perceive  many  faults  in  baptized  children,  and 
see  signs  in  them  of  the  influence  of  the  world  and  the  flesh.  Only 
too  often  thy  go  astray  altogether  from  the  right  path,  and  we  are 
apt  to  despair  of  them,  and  to  regard  them  as  little  heathens.  We 
forget  that  a  baptized  child  can  never  be  the  same  as  a  heathen,  for, 
although  we  may  break  our  covenant  with  God,  He  never  breaks 
His  covenant  with  us.     We  forget  that  at  Baptism  the  seed  of  life 


TRINITY  SUNDAY  163 

is  planted  in  a  child's  heart,  and  although  this  seed  may  decay  and 
perish,  yet  by  God's  grace  it  can  always  be  called  back  to  life  and 
growth.  Anxious  parents,  who  grieve  over  a  child  given  up  to  sin, 
should  not  lose  hope,  but  rely  on  the  strength  of  the  covenant  with 
God,  concluded  at  the  child's  Baptism ;  the  covenant  may  indeed  be 
weakened,  but  it  can  always  be  renewed  and  strengthened. 

TI.  Law. — What  else  did  our  Lord  say  to  His  disciples  at  the 
solemn  moment  when  He  was  about  to  leave  them?  He  told  them 
that,  besides  baptizing  all  nations,  they  were  to  teach  them  to  ob- 
serve all  things  whatsoever  He  had  commanded.  Did  He  not  men- 
tion faith,  when  giving  His  disciples  this  commission?  Is  it  not 
strange  that  there  is  here  no  allusion  to  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  the 
root  of  all  justification?  By  no  means,  for  in  the  first  place  there 
Is  a  reference  to  faith  In  the  words  Immediately  following,  and, 
secondly,  our  Saviour  was  speaking  to  the  Apostles,  His  own  chosen 
servants.  No  servant  of  Christ  can  be  wanting  in  faith,  and  least 
of  all  did  these  first  servants  need  admonition  to  keep  the  faith. 
Their  faith  was  too  firm  ever  to  be  overcome.  We  can  see  from 
our  Lord's  words  that  living  faith  alone  is  of  value  in  His  sight, 
living  faith  that  reveals  Itself  In  keeping  His  commandments.  Many 
make  loud  profession  of  their  faith,  and  seem  to  think  that  this  is 
enough,  for  at  the  same  time  they  trample  the  commandments  under 
foot,  and  disregard  all  Christ's  teaching.  Others,  who  are  good 
and  honest,  learn  by  painful  experience  that  It  Is  not  easy  to  keep 
the  commandments,  and  that  many  struggles  and  much  self-conquest 
are  necessary.  More  genuine  Is  the  faith  of  those  who  make  no 
loud  protestations,  and  may  perhaps  say  humbly:  "Lord,  I  believe; 
help  Thou  my  unbelief,"  but  who,  by  observing  Christ's  command- 
ments and  precepts,  show  that  their  faith  Is  real  and  living. 

H  we  read  the  psalms  of  David,  or  the  writings  of  the  prophets. 


i64        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

or  our  Lord's  discourses  recorded  in  the  gospels,  we  everywhere 
find  exhortations  to  do  God's  will,  to  obey  His  commandments,  and 
to  lead  an  upright  and  honest  life.  No  one  can  do  this  unless  he 
have  faith;  but  a  believer  is  strictly  bound  to  live  in  accordance 
with  his  faith,  otherwise  he  is  practically  false  to  it,  and  faith  means 
nothing  to  him,  if  it  ceases  to  influence  his  daily  life. 

In  times  of  strong  spiritual  emotion,  men  often  act  in  a  way  that 
is  reprehensible;  they  do  many  things  that  do  not  savor  of  true 
Christianity  at  all,  and  sometimes  those  who  boast  of  their  faith, 
and  of  the  necessity  of  "faith  alone,"  fall  very  low,  and  occasion 
much  scandal.  This  is  probably  due  to  their  having  adopted  the 
fatal  theory  that  all  must  be  quite  easy  if  only  they  have  faith. 
They  forget  that  Christ  bids  us  all  keep  His  commandments;  they 
delight  in  the  thought  that  they  enjoy  the  privileges  of  children  in 
their  father's  house,  and  they  overlook  the  fact  that  even  such  chil- 
dren have  certain  duties  to  perform. 

HI.  The  Church. — Jesus  Christ  established  His  kingdom  on  earth, 
the  holy.  Catholic  and  apostolic  Church.  It  consisted  primarily  of 
His  Apostles,  who  represented  the  Church  when  they  assembled  at 
the  solemn  hour  of  His  departure.  The  world  hates  and  persecutes 
this  kingdom.  It  hated  and  persecuted  the  Apostles,  and  their  suc- 
cessors, who,  like  them,  strove  to  fulfil  our  Lord's  commandment 
to  baptize  and  teach  all  nations.  The  world  can  make  life  very 
hard  for  the  followers  of  Christ ;  it  can  rob  them  of  honor  and  even 
of  life,  but  it  cannot  deprive  them  of  their  courage  and  confidence, 
because  they  rely  upon  their  Master's  promise :  "Behold,  I  am  with 
you  all  days,  even  to  the  consummation  of  the  world."  He  pos- 
sessed all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and  therefore  we  are  abso- 
lutely certain  that  the  world  will  never  be  able  to  overthrow  His 
kingdom. 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  165 

SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
THE  CROSS 

"Then  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples:  'If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let  him 
deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  me.' " — Matt,  xvi,  24. 

In  heaven  there  is  a  great  multitude  of  the  blessed,  each  having 
a  palm  of  victory  in  his  hand,  a  crown  upon  his  head  and  the  joy 
of  triumph  in  his  heart.  If  we  could  question  each  of  them  singly, 
and  ask  by  what  path  they  reached  the  glory  of  heaven,  one  and  all 
would  reply:  ''We  followed  the  way  of  the  Cross."  Per  crucem 
dd  lucem,  through  the  cross  to  everlasting  light.  Each  bore  his 
cross,  and  this  must  needs  be  so,  since  our  Saviour  said:  "Who- 
soever doth  not  carry  his  cross,  and  come  after  Me,  cannot  be  My 
disciple."  It  is  by  means  of  the  Cross  that  He  recognizes  His  fol- 
lowers, and  consequently  they  love  and  value  it.  A  man  who  does 
nothing  but  grumble  at  the  weight  of  his  cross,  is  not  one  of  our 
Lord's  disciples. 

I.  The  School  of  the  Cross.  Our  Saviour  tells  us  that  we  must 
deny  ourselves.  Now  some  people  seem  to  fancy  that  it  is  possible 
to  be  a  Christian  without  practising  any  self-denial,  and  to  confess 
Christ  whilst  leading  a  life  in  no  respect  different  from  that  of  a 
thoroughly  worldly  man.  They  think  it  unnecessary  to  mortify  their 
vanity  and  ambition,  and  forget  that  our  Lord  said:  "How  can 
you  believe,  who  receive  glory  one  from  another,  and  the  glory  which 
is  from  God  alone,  you  do  not  seek?"  (John  v,  44).  They  deem  it 
superfluous  to  curb  their  love  of  criticising,  judging.and  condemning 
others,  and  indulge  it  freely,  although  Christ  said:  "Judge  not, 
that  you  may  not  be  judged"  (Matt,  vii,  i).  They  do  not  attempt 
to  bridle  their  tongues,  and  do  not  hesitate  to  slander  their  neigh- 


i66         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

bors.  They  refuse  to  put  a  charitable  interpretation  upon  the  words 
and  deeds  of  others,  and  take  everything  in  bad  part.  They  cherish 
ardent  desires,  and  cannot  endure  disappointment. 

If  all  this  is  compatible  with  Christianity,  where  is  the  self-denial, 
which  our  Lord  requires  of  everyone  who  would  be  His  disciple? 
How  terribly  do  such  people  deceive  themselves ! 

Self-denial  is  indispensable  because  we  are  sinners,  and  our  wills 
must  be  mortified,  .because  they  are  sinful.  Even  if  they  were  not 
sinful,  they  would  still  have  to  yield  to  the  will  of  God.  Our  divine 
and  sinless  Redeemer,  speaking  as  man,  prayed,  saying:  "Father, 
not  my  will  but  Thine  .be  done.''  He  taught  us  likewise  to  say : 
"Thy  will  be  done" — God's  will,  not  ooir  own.  If  we  are  to  attain 
to  everlasting  happiness,  we  must  learn  truly  to  subordinate  our 
wills  to  God's,  and  that  can  be  learnt  only  through  self-denial.  Cost 
what  it  may,  we  must  deny  ourselves.  If  we  are  tempted  to  make 
money  by  dishonest  means,  we  must  banish  the  thought,  and  remem- 
ber that  our  Saviour  said :  "What  doth  it  profit  a  man,  if  he  gain 
the  whole  world,  and  suflfer  the  loss  of  his  own  soul?"  (Matt,  xvi, 
26).  If  we  are  tempted  to  curry  favor  with  the  world  by  disloyalty 
or  falsehood,  remember  how  St.  Peter  declared  that  we  ought  to 
obey  God  rather  than  men  (Acts  v,  29).  Why  should  we  trouble 
about  the  judgments  of  men?  "He  that  judgeth  me  is  the  Lord" 
(i  Cor.  iv,  4).  It  is  better  to  withstand  the  whole  world  than  to 
deny  what  we  know  to  be  the  truth.  If  we  are  tempted  to  impurity, 
we  should  bear  in  mind  that  we  have  only  to  resist  the  devil,  and 
he  will  fly  from  us.  If  we  feel  intense  desire  to  speak  evil  of  our 
neighbors,  we  must  not  imagine  that  some  hypocritical  expression 
of  sorrow  or  sympathy  will  take  away  the  venom  from  our  words, 
but  we  must  resolutely  refrain  from  saying  anything  at  all,  for  "he 
that  keepeth  his  mouth  and  his  tongue,  keepeth  his  soul  from  dis- 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  167 

tress"  (Prov.  xxi,  23).  If  horrible  thoughts  and  suggestions  pre- 
sent themselves,  we  must  condemn  them  at  once,  for,  as  Holy  Scrip- 
ture tells  us,  charity  thinketh  no  evil. 

•The  Sacraments,  and  especially  the  most  holy  Sacrament  of  the 
Altar,  supply  us  with  strength  to  deny  ourselves ;  nothing  is  so  well 
adapted  to  make  us  pure  and  strong,  as  the  pure  and  holy  human 
nature  of  our  Lord,  incorporated  with  our  nature.  Let  us  there- 
fore have  recourse  very  frequently  to  Holy  Communion. 

We  derive  strength  also  from  God's  holy  word,  from  prayer,  and 
from  studying  the  lives  of  the  saints,  and  trying  to  imitate,  not  so 
much  their  outward  actions,  but  rather  their  humility,  obedience 
and  self-denial.  Our  power  of  denying  ourselves  grows  with  prac- 
tice, like  every  other  faculty,  and  unless  it  is  used,  it  will  vanish 
altogether.  Let  us  therefore  begin  at  once  to  deny  ourselves  in 
little  things,  and  voluntarily  deprive  ourselves  of  permissible 
pleasures  and  luxuries.  Then,  if  ever  duty  requires  us  to  give  up 
some  great  thing,  we  shall  be  ready  to  make  the  sacrifice.  The 
saints  reached  their  height  of  mortification  and  sanctity  by  con- 
tinually denying  themselves  in  little  things. 

n.  The  Burden  of  the  Cross.  Self-denial  is  the  school  in  which 
we  learn  to  take  up  our  cross,  for  whoever  surrenders  his  own  will, 
in  order  that  God's  will  may  be  done,  is  showing  his  readiness  to 
bear  the  burden  that  may  be  laid  upon  him.  This  is  what  is  meant 
by  taking  up  one's  cross.  Our  crosses  are  made  up  of  suffering  of 
one  kind  or  another.  Sickness  and  poverty  may  be  heavy  crosses, 
and  yet,  strange  to  say,  two  of  the  happiest  people,  that  I  have  ever 
met,  were  afflicted  with  terrible  maladies.  One  of  them  put  me 
completely  to  shame.  I  was  beginning  to  tell  him  how  deeply  I 
sympathized  with  him  in  his  misfortunes,  when  he  interrupted  me 
almost  impatiently  with  the  words:     "I  am  quite  contented."    He 


i68      CATHOLIC   CHRISTIANITY   AND    THE   MODERN    WORLD 

understood  how  to  desire  whatever  God  gives  us,  even  though  it 
may  thwart  our  own  natural  love  of  ease  and  comfort.  He  carried 
his  cross  as  did  our  Saviour,  who  said:  "Not  my  will  but  Thine 
be  done."  To  be  set  aside  and  rendered  incapable  of  active  work 
is  a  heavy  cross,  which  becomes  lighter  however  if  the  sufferer 
remembers  that  God  is  only  giving  him  another  occupation,  and  that 
there  is  no  change  in  his  aim,  which  is  to  do  God's  will,  and  work 
out  his  salvation.  He  will  still  find  work  enough  to  do  if  he  prac- 
tises prayer,  mortification  and  humility. 

Others  find  it  hard  to  be  unappreciated  by  those  about  them,  and 
to  encounter  harsh  words,  unkind  actions  and  unjust  criticism.  Yet 
this  cross  can  be  borne  by  one  who  has  given  up  caring  about  the 
opinions  of  men;  he  has  learnt  how  to  be  silent  and  patient,  and  if 
he  is  obliged  to  speak,  he  waits  until  he  is  master  of  his  own  feel- 
ings, lest  he  should  sin  with  his  tongue.  Every  Christian  has  to 
bear  his  own  peculiar  cross,  and  we  must  not  recklessly  assume  that 
another's  cross  is  lighter  than  ours,  it  may  only  be  less  visible.  Per- 
haps the  heaviest  cross  of  all  is  to  suffer  in  silence  great  anguish 
of  mind ;  this  cross  is  one  that  may  be  quite  imperceptible  to  all  but 
the  sufferer  himself. 

HI.  The  Way  of  the  Cross.  But  why,  it  may  be  asked,  must  we 
tread  the  path  of  suffering,  the  way  of  the  Cross?  A  believer's 
sins  are  forgiven  through  Jesus  Christ;  ought  not  the  punishment 
of  sins  also  to  be  remitted?  H  Christ  suffered  for  us,  why  should 
we  be  punished  ? 

Unless  we  know  the  answer  to  this  question,  we  cannot  bear  our 
crosses  as  we  ought,  for  they  would  be  an  inexplicable  mystery,  an 
unendurable  burden.  Hence  it  is  most  important  for  us  to  under- 
stand that  by  His  precious  Blood  our  Lord  obtained  for  us  the 
remission  of  the  eternal  punishment  due  to  sin,  but  the  temporal 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  169 

punishment  remains.  That  it  is  sometimes  very  severe  is  quite 
intelligible  to  one  who  considers  God's  sanctity  and  justice  on  the 
one  hand,  and  on  the  other  the  imperfect  character  of  our  penance. 
Moreover,  the  punishment  that  we  undergo  serves  as  a  deterrent 
from  sin,  and  as  a  means  of  purifying  our  souls.  God  desires  noth- 
ing but  our  good,  and  He  reveals  His  love,  when  He  lays  the  cross 
upon  our  shoulders ;  for  it  is  designed  to  detach  us  from  the  world, 
to  raise  us  above  the  deceptions  of  this  life,  and  to  strengthen  us 
against  the  uncharitable  Judgments  and  hostility  of  our  fellow  men. 
Thus  the  way  of  the  Cross  is  strewn  with  joys,  hidden,  it  is  true, 
from  the  world,  and  incomprehensible  to  it,  but  felt  and  understood 
by  those  who  possess  the  faith,  and  who  can  say,  like  St.  Paul: 
"We  glory  in  tribulations,  knowing  that  tribulation  worketh  patience, 
and  patience  trial,  and  trial  hope."  We  hope  to  obtain  the  crown, 
but  there  is  only  one  path — the  way  of  the  Cross — whereby  we  can 
attain  to  it — Per  crucem  ad  lucem. 


I70        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 

THE  TRUTH  AND  GOOD  MANNERS 

"And  Jesus  answering,  spoke  to  the  lawyers  and  Pharisees,  saying:  'Is  it 
lawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath  day.' " — Luke  xiv,  3. 

Jn  to-day's  Gospel  we  read  that  our  Lord  accepted  an  invitation 
given  Him  by  one  of  the  chief  of  the  Pharisees,  a  man  occupying  a 
high  position  and  much  esteemed  by  his  own  people.  We  may 
safely  assume  that  he  paid  great  attention  to  the  exact  observance 
of  the  law,  and  he  probably  was  refined  and  well-educated,  not  at 
all  the  sort  of  person  to  tolerate  any  bad  manners  or  want  of 
courtesy  in  his  house.  Jesus  arrived  as  his  guest,  knowing  of 
course  perfectly  well  how  a  guest  should  behave  towards  his  host. 
Certainly  our  Lord  never  intended  to  be  discourteous,  to  speak  in  an 
unseemly  manner,  or  to  make  any  inconsiderate  remark  incom- 
patible with  truth  and  charity.  He  knew  better  than  any  one  else 
how  to  comply  with  the  demands  of  both  charity  and  truth,  and 
consequently,  when  occasion  required.  He  set  aside  all  regard  for 
public  opinion  and  the  customs  of  polite  society.  This  was  the 
case  in  the  instance  recorded  by  St.  Luke.  The  strict  observer  of 
the  Jewish  law  considered  it  wrong  to  heal  the  sick  on  the  Sabbath 
day,  and  nevertheless  Christ  healed  the  man  suffering  from  dropsy 
in  his  very  house  and  in  the  presence  of  his  guests.  This  action 
naturally  displeased  all  the  assembled  company,  and  especially  the 
master  of  the  house.  They  were  undoubtedly  scandalized,  but  truth 
required  our  Lord  to  correct  their  mistaken  views  regarding 
the  Sabbath,  and  charity  impelled  Him  to  relieve  a  sufferer. 
On  the  same  occasion  He  rebuked  His  fellow  guests  for  their  eager- 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  171 

ness  to  secure  the  most  honorable  places  at  the  banquet,  and  recom- 
mended them  to  choose  rather  the  lowest  seats.  These  words  were 
another  ground  of  offence  both  for  the  host  and  his  friends.  No 
one  would  like  his  guests  to  be  treated  thus  in  his  own  house  and  at 
his  own  table.  This  want  of  consideration  and  breach  of  good  man- 
ners must  have  caused  great  annoyance  to  the  refined  Pharisee,  but 
to  our  Lord  the  truth  was  of  paramount  importance,  and,  after  all, 
rules  of  etiquette,  that  do  not  agree  with  the  truth,  are  no  sign  of 
good  breeding.  Christ  did  not  lose  the  opportunity  of  impressing 
upon  those  about  Him  a  weighty,  though  unpleasant  truth.  Finally 
the  host  himself  received  a  rebuke,  and  was  told  bluntly  that,  instead 
of  inviting  the  aristocracy  to  his  feast,  he  ought  to  call  the  poor, 
the  maimed,  the  lame  and  the  blind.  This  remark  certainly  seemed 
most  offensive  to  the  giver  of  the  feast,  and  he  probably  resolved 
never  again  to  invite  this  guest  who  made  things  so  uncomfortable ; 
perhaps  he  would  have  turned  Him  out,  then  and  there,  had  it  not 
been  the  Sabbath,  when  all  disturbance  had  to  be  avoided. 

Our  Lord  knew  well  enough  what  impression  His  words  would 
make  upon  the  Pharisees,  but  in  the  interests  of  truth  He  felt  bound 
to  speak,  and  to  disregard  the  ordinary  conventions  of  society. 
The  result  to  Himself  was  that  people  looked  upon  Him  as  a  rough, 
ignorant  person,  and  despised  Him  for  His  lack  of  breeding.  Jesus 
foresaw,  of  course,  that  this  would  be  the  case,  but  He  willingly 
endured  contempt,  although  most  of  us  find  it  very  hard  to  bear, 
and  shrink  from  incurring  it,  even  when  it  behooves  us  to  do  so  for 
the  truth's  sake.  In  every  age  many  believe  in  the  truth,  but  are 
indifferent  to  it.  Many  even  value  and  respect  it,  but  are  unwilling 
to  sacrifice  anything  in  order  to  bear  witness  to  it.  They  would 
never  dream  of  offending  against  good  manners,  or  of  allowing 
others  to  think  them  boorish  and  ignorant,  simply  for  the  sake  of 


172        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

the  truth;  and  they  would  consider  it  an  absolute  impossibility  to 
run  counter  to  current  opinion  and  to  the  prejudices  of  the  majority, 
or,  by  giving  offense,  to  bring  down  upon  themselves  ill  will,  un- 
popularity, hatred  and  possibly  persecution.  Such  people  may  not 
be  cowardly  enough  actually  to  assent  to  what  they  know  to  be  false 
and  wrong,  but  they  listen  quietly  to  false  and  erroneous  statements, 
without  attempting  to  stand  up  for  the  truth,  and  without  uttering 
a  word  of  protest.  They  excuse  themselves  by  saying:  "Anything 
for  the  sake  of  peace  and  a  quiet  life;"  but  our  Lord  did  not  act 
thus,  and  it  is  His  disciples'  duty  to  follow  His  example.  He  who 
does  not  follow  this  example  may  flatter  himself  perhaps  that  he  is 
one  of  our  Saviour's  adherents,  but  in  reality  he  is  nothing  of  the 
kind. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  173 

FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
OUTWARD  OBSERVANCES 

"This  people  honoreth  Me  with  their  lips,  but  their  heart  is  far  from 
Me." — Mark  vii,  6. 

In  to-day's  Gospel  our  Saviour  discusses  external  matters,  and 
therefore  for  once  let  us  consider  their  significance.  His  words 
recorded  in  this  passage  and  elsewhere  have  led  many  people  to 
condemn  every  outward  observance  in  Christianity.  Such  people 
think  that  they  are  interpreting  His  meaning,  whereas  they  are  fall- 
ing into  the  mistake  of  refusing  to  think  of  anything  that  is  not 
exclusively  spiritual.  If  they  were  right,  God  would  have  blundered, 
when  He  created  a  visible,  material  world. 

Our  Saviour  had  no  intention  whatever  of  condemning  the  out- 
ward side  of  Christianity,  and  if  we  study  this  Gospel  carefully,  we 
shall  see  that  what  He  condemned  was  the  abuse,  not  the  use,  of 
external  things.  He  condemned  this  abuse  sternly,  because  it  was 
very  common  and  very  disastrous  in  its  results,  but  He  did  not  utter 
a  single  word  against  the  proper  use  of  external  things. 

I.  The  Jews  inherited  from  their  ancestors  many  religious  cus- 
toms and  ceremonies,  which  were  not  all  prescribed  in  Holy 
Scripture.  They  esteemed  and  honored  this  inheritance  very  highly, 
and  adhered  rigidly  to  these  ancient  practices.  The  evangelists  tell 
us  that  on  many  occasions  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  found  fault 
with  our  Lord  for  His  laxity  in  this  respect.  They  never  ate  with- 
out having  washed  their  hands,  and  they  were  scrupulously  careful 
to  cleanse  cups  and  dishes,  not  only  because  they  set  a  high  value 
on  cleanliness,  but  also  to  avoid  defilement,  as  their  hands  or  utensils 


174        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

might  possibly  have  come  into  contact  with  something  technically 
unclean.  They  showed  their  reverence  for  God  by  giving  Corban, 
i.  e.,  incense  offerings,  to  the  Temple;  they  prayed  with  their  lips 
rather  than  their  hearts,  repeating  aloud  many  prescribed  prayers, 
and  doing,  as  our  Lord  said,  many  other  things  like  to  these. 

But  Jesus  did  not  utter  a  single  word  against  these  external  prac- 
tices; what  He  condemned  was  their  abuse.  He  judged  those  who 
pray  only  with  their  lips,  whilst  their  hearts  are  far  from  God.  He 
did  not  say  that  vocal  prayer  was  worthless,  but  He  called  those 
hypocrites  whose  prayer  is  nothing  but  lip  service.  He  did  not  find 
fault  with  outward  cleanliness,  but  with  men  who  are  scrupulously 
clean  in  preparing  their  food,  whilst  they  care  nothing  for  purity  of 
heart,  and  do  not  hesitate  to  use  foul  and  uncharitable  language. 
He  did  not  forbid  people  to  lavish  money  on  the  Temple,  and  to 
offer  money  for  the  adornment  of  God's  house,  but  He  would  not 
allow  such  gifts  to  be  an  excuse  for  neglect  of  filial  duties ;  He  would 
have  no  one  plead  that  he  could  not  support  father  or  mother,  be- 
cause he  had  contributed  generously  to  the  Temple  treasury.  It  is 
good  to  be  zealous  for  the  beauty  of  God's  house,  but  it  is  better  to 
honor  one's  father  and  mother,  though  the  best  of  all  is  to  do  both. 
In  this  case  the  traditional  custom  was  actually  opposed  to  God's 
law,  and  not  merely  a  practice  that  the  law  did  not  prescribe,  so 
that  those  who  observed  it  were  actually  transgressing  and  making 
void  the  commandment  of  God. 

II.  The  Church,  too,  possesses  many  ancient  customs  and  cere- 
monies, some  of  which  are  not  expUcitly  ordained  by  God.  In  our 
childhood  we  are  taught  to  make  a  sign  of  the  Cross  when  we  get 
up,  and  to  kneel  in  prayer.  Is  there  any  harm  in  making  the  sign 
of  the  Cross  before  beginning  to  pray?  It  is  horrible  hypocrisy  to 
begin  a  religious  exercise  in  this  way  if  we  care  nothing  about  the 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  175 

salvation  of  our  souls,  but  it  is  good  and  commendable  if  we  are  in 
earnest.  The  holy  sign  should  remind  us  that  we  are,  as  it  were, 
consecrating  ourselves  in  preparation  for  an  audience  with  the  Lord 
of  heaven  and  earth ;  and  it  really  helps  us  to  shut  out  the  world 
from  our  hearts  and  minds,  and  to  fill  us  with  holy  thoughts. 

Is  there  any  harm  in  kneeling  at  prayer  as  St.  Paul  did?  He  says 
that  he  bowed  his  knees  to  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
(Ephes.  iii,  14).  To  kneel  is  odious  hypocrisy  if  a  man  professes 
to  cast  himself  down  as  a  sinner  and  humble  himself  before  God, 
whilst  really  he  is  vain  and  self-satisfied.  But  for  a  man  who  is  in 
earnest,  it  is  good  to  bend  his  knees,  as  well  as  to  humble  his  heart 
before  almighty  God.  If  there  is  no  pretence  about  it,  kneeling  is 
not  only  a  sign  of  humility,  but  is  a  means  of  abasing  ourselves  in 
the  sight  of  God. 

Is  there  any  harm  in  using  holy  water?  The  use  of  it  is  mere 
hypocrisy  in  one  who  never  thinks  of  purifying  his  soul,  but  to  one 
who,  like  David,  fervently  prays:  "Wash  me  and  I  shall  be  made 
whiter  than  snow,"  it  is  a  means  of  attaining  to  purity  of  heart. 

Fasting,  especially  on  certain  days,  is  another  outward  observance, 
which  has  always  been  practised  by  God's  people,  under  both  the 
old  and  the  new  dispensation.  The  Apostles  and  early  Christians 
used  to  fast  (Acts  xiii,  2 ;  xiv,  22 ;  i  Cor,  vii,  5 ;  2  Cor.  vi,  5 ;  xi,  27)3 
Surely  it  cannot  be  wrong  to  observe  a  custom  commended  and  prac- 
tised by  Christ  Himself?  (Matt,  vi,  16;  ix,  15;  xvii,  20;  iv,  2). 
Yes,  it  is  a  contemptible  display  of  hypocrisy,  if  a  man  simply  eats 
and  drinks  somewhat  less  than  usual,  under  the  idea  that  thus  he 
satisfies  God's  demands  and  makes  no  effort  to  restrain  his  impure 
thoughts  or  to  amend  his  sinful  way  of  life.  Such  a  man  should 
remember  that  "Not  that  which  goeth  into  the  mouth  defileth  a 
man"   (Matt,  xv,   11).     Is   fasting,  therefore,  reprehensible?     By 


176         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

no  means.  A  practise  commended  by  our  Lord  and  His  Apostles 
cannot  be  bad.  Instead  of  asking  whether  it  is  a  mistake  to  fast, 
we  ought  to  inquire  how  Christians  could  dare  to  abolish  a  custom 
for  which  there  is  such  good  authority,  and  which  is  so  frequently 
recommended  in  Holy  Scripture.  An  earnest  Christian  knows  that 
it  is  a  means  of  rousing  the  soul  to  devotion  and  of  subduing  the 
flesh  with  its  evil  lusts  and  passions.  Fasting  practised  thus  is  a 
sacrifice  well  pleasing  to  God. 

We  have  mentioned  only  a  few  of  our  ordinary'  Catholic  customs. 
Speaking  in  general  terms  we  may  say:  If  all  that  is  external  in 
Christianity  were  bad,  it  would  have  been  wrong  for  God  to  make 
His  revelation  to  us  in  words,  for  words  are  also  external ;  He  ought 
not  to  communicate  grace  by  the  water  of  baptism,  since  water  is 
something  external.  And  Jesus  Christ  should  not  have  given  us 
His  precious  Body  and  Blood  under  the  forms  of  bread  and  wine, 
since  bread  and  wine  are  external  things. 

The  lesson  taught  by  to-day's  gospel  is  this :  Make  use  of  external 
things,  but  do  not  be  hypocritical  in  the  use  that  you  make  of  them. 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  177 

FIFTH   SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
CHILDISH  PEOPLE  AND  OBSTINATE 

"Whereunto  shall  I  esteem  this  generation  to  be  like?  It  is  like  to  children 
sitting  in  the  market  place." — Matt,  xi,  i6. 

The  first  part  of  to-day's  Gospel  is  not  altogether  easy  to  under- 
stand, but  the  general  meaning  is  clear;  our  Lord  reproaches  the 
Jews  with  being  childish  and  obstinate. 

I.  Childish  People. — The  Jews  were  like  children,  so  full  of 
whims  and  vagaries  that  it  was  impossible  to  please  them.  They 
swayed  to  and  fro  between  two  extremes,  as  we  see  from  their  be- 
havior towards  St.  John  the  Baptist  and  our  Lord  Himself.  Why 
were  they  so  fickle?  After  the  lapse  of  several  hundred  years  a 
new  prophet  had  arisen  in  Israel,  and  this  fact  had  the  charm  of 
novelty  and  flattered  the  national  vanity  of  the  Jews.  But  the  new 
prophet  preached  a  doctrine  of  penance,  not  calculated  to  please 
his  contemporaries.  They  could  not  help  feeling  a  lively  interest  in 
him,  and  we  can  readily  account  for  this.  The  Morgue  in  Paris  is 
a  place  where  the  bodies  of  unknown  persons  are  displayed  for 
identification.  In  this  horrible  place  lie  the  corpses  of  men  and 
women  who  have  been  drowned  or  murdered,  or  who  have  com- 
mitted suicide;  no  gloomier  spot  exists  perhaps  on  earth,  and  yet 
elegant  carriages  often  stop  at  its  door,  and  fashionably  dressed 
people  may  frequently  be  seen  there.  Why  do  they  go  thither? 
Because  they  have  exhausted  all  the  amusements  that  they  can 
discover,  and  wish  to  stimulate  their  jaded  nerves  by  the  sight  of 
horrors.  For  the  same  reason  St.  John's  doctrine  of  penance  might 
for  a  time  attract  worldly-minded  persons,  who  "were  willing  to 
rejoice  in  his  light"  (John  v,  35)  ;  and  even  Herod  heard  him  gladly 


178        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

(Mark  vi,  20).  Only  for  a  time,  however — their  enthusiasm  soon 
died  out,  and  they  considered  St.  John  too  strict.  He  practised  the 
utmost  self-denial  himself,  and  required  others  to  do  the  same,  and 
so  they  declared  that  he  had  a  devil,  and  turned  against  him. 

When  Jesus  Christ  came  preaching  the  Gospel,  He  was  more 
moderate  in  His  demands,  and  did  not  make  it  obligatory  for  any 
one  to  practise  severe  mortification,  although  He  never  condemned 
it,  provided  that  it  was  not  excessive.  On  one  occasion  He  advised 
some  one  to  sell  all  that  he  possessed  and  give  the  proceeds  to  the 
poor;  but  He  did  not  require  every  one  to  act  thus  or  else  forfeit 
all  claim  to  eternal  happiness.  Consequently  the  fickle  populace 
thought  our  Lord  lax  and  too  easy-going,  and  condemned  Him  as 
a  glutton  and  a  wine-drinker. 

Their  changeable  disposition  marked  the  Jews  as  childish.  Some 
children,  when  at  play,  copy  the  behavior  of  their  elders  on  oc- 
casions of  rejoicing,  but  others  refuse  to  join  in  the  game.  Some, 
like  grown-up  people  at  that  time,  raise  a  loud  cry  of  mourning,  as 
if  a  death  had  taken  place,  and  again  their  playfellows  stand  aloof. 
The  Jews  behaved  in  this  manner,  and  for  grown-up  men  and 
women  to  display  so  childish  a  disposition  is  a  serious  fault. 

Have  people  at  the  present  day  learned  not  to  be  childish  ?  Have 
they  ceased  to  waver  between  two  extremes,  and  to  be  at  one 
moment  very  severe  and  at  another  excessively  slack  and  careless? 

I  am  afraid  that  many  of  us  still  act  like  foolish  children;  under 
the  influence  of  strong  emotion  they  are  for  a  time  very  strict  with 
themselves  and  others,  and  life  becomes  for  them  a  sad  and  gloomy 
business.  If  they  regard  anything  as  wrong,  they  cannot  endure 
that  another  should  dare  to  use,  enjoy  or  even  touch  it.  They  are 
unmerciful  in  passing  judgment  upon  others ;  and  those  who  do 
not  agree  with  them  are  all  condemned  indiscriminately,  just  as  the 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  179 

Jews  condemned  our  Lord,  calling  Him  "a  glutton  and  a  wine- 
drinker,  a  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners."  They  refuse  to  recog- 
nize any  one  as  a  good  Christian  who  is  less  strict  than  they  are  in 
external  matters. 

All  this  lasts  for  a  time,  and  then  they  feel  it  unendurable,  and 
they  begin  to  relax  the  tension.  At  first  the  change  is  very  slight, 
and,  in  their  opinion,  quite  safe ;  but  they  grow  more  and  more  slack, 
even  with  regard  to  more  important  things,  and  at  last  their  laxity 
affects  even  actual  duties,  and  they  do  not  hesitate  to  neglect  prayer, 
to  commit  various  sins,  to  miss  hearing  Mass  and  to  receive  the 
Sacraments.  They  talk  now  on  the  liberty  of  the  Gospel,  and  of  the 
cheerful  side  of  Christianity,  and  whereas  before  they  refrained 
from  all  freedom  and  happiness,  now  they  give  themselves  up  to 
amusement,  scarcely  noticing  that  they  are  yielding  to  the  spirit  of 
worldliness,  until  perhaps  it  has  altogether  taken  possession  of  them. 

Such  alternations  of  strictness  and  laxity  are  childish,  and  very 
dangerous  in  grown-up  people.  This  childishness  is  rendered  more 
conspicuous  by  the  obstinacy  with  which  people  condemn  to-day 
what  they  extolled  yesterday.  If  we  are  to  live  as  reasonable,  sane 
Christians,  we  must  distinguish  clearly  between  what  we  are  allowed 
to  do,  although  it  might  be  better  for  us  to  refrain  from  it,  and 
what  we  must  abstain  from,  because,  being  really  sinful,  it  would 
imperil  our  salvation. 

II.  Obstinate  people. — Obstinacy  is  a  worse  fault  than  childish- 
ness, although  they  are  often  connected,  and  our  Lord  coupled  them 
together.  The  Jews  were  a  particularly  obstinate  race,  and  our 
Lord  condemned  Corozain  and  Bethsaida,  two  towns  on  the  Lake 
of  Genesareth  on  account  of  the  hardness  of  heart  displayed  by 
their  inhabitants.  They  would  be  judged,  He  said,  more  severely 
than  Tyre  and  Sidon,  the  great  Phoenician  trading  cities,  since  if 


i8o         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

in  these  latter  places  the  same  miracles  had  been  wrought,  the  popu- 
lation would  have  done  penance  in  sackcloth  and  ashes.  Christ 
spoke  of  Capharnaum,  His  own  city,  still  more  sternly,  saying  that 
at  the  day  of  judgment  it  should  be  more  tolerable  for  Sodom,  in 
spite  of  the  sins  for  which  the  latter  city  was  notorious. 

How  is  it  with  ourselves  in  this  respect?  Have  we  not  been 
reminded  and  invited  over  and  over  again  to  repent?  Shall  we  be 
judged  less  guilty  than  the  people  of  Capharnaum?  Surely  not, 
for  our  sin  is  greater  than  theirs,  inasmuch  as  Christ  has  spoken  to 
us  more  plainly  than  to  them.  St.  John  the  Baptist  warned  men 
to  repent  and  do  penance  for  their  sins,  and  sometimes  his  hearers 
were  deeply  impressed  by  his  words,  yet  nevertheless  they  refused 
to  forsake  sin  and  to  be  converted.  Jesus  Christ  speaks  to  us  in  the 
gentle  language  of  the  gospel  Sunday  after  Sunday,  and  we  hear 
His  call  and  heed  it  not.  Every  Sunday  is  His  gift,  and  many  of  us 
spend  the  day  in  worldly  amusements  and  self-indulgence.  We 
refuse  to  obey  His  law,  and  shut  our  ears  to  the  teaching  of  the 
gospel,  for  we  have  no  desire  to  be  converted.  May  our  Lord's 
words  to-day  fall  on  humble  and  believing  hearts,  that  do  not  resist 
His  grace;  then  and  then  only  shall  we  obtain  that  peace,  which 
every  human  heart  secretly  longs  to  possess. 


SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  i8i 

SIXTH   SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST 
HOW  DO  WE  LEARN  TO  CONFESS  CHRIST? 

"And  Jesus  came  into  the  quarters  of  Caesarea  Philippi,  and  He  asked  His 
disciples,  saying:  'Whom  do  men  say  that  the  Son  of  IMan  is?'" — Matt. 
xvi,  II. 

Jesus  asks :  "Whom  do  men  say  that  the  Son  of  Man  is  ?"  The 
Jews  gave  various  answers ;  some  thought  He  was  John  the  Baptist, 
whom  they  supposed  to  have  risen  from  the  dead.  Herod  was  one 
of  these,  for  his  conscience  was  uneasy,  as  he  had  put  St.  John  to 
death.  Others  said  that  our  Lord  was  EHas,  because  the  prophet 
Malachias  had  foretold  that  God  would  send  Elias  first,  before  His 
own  Son  (Mai.  iv,  5).  Others  again  declared  Him  to  be  Jeremias 
or  some  other  prophet,  who  had  risen  from  the  dead  and  could 
work  miracles.  In  short  there  were  many  conflicting  opinions  about 
our  Lord,  and  the  Jews  did  not  know  what  to  think  of  Him,  for 
they  deliberated  with  men  of  flesh  and  blood,  and  hoped  to  be  en- 
lightened thus.  This  was  their  mistake ;  flesh  and  blood  can  reveal 
nothing,  nor  can  they  supply  any  answer  to  the  question,  "What 
think  ye  of  Christ?"  They  have  no  information  to  give  us.  Every 
individual  has  to  answer  the  same  question.  Some  say  that  Jesus 
Christ  had  a  divine  element  in  His  nature,  but  they  deny  that  He  is 
God,  for  they  do  not  believe  in  the  Blessed  Trinity.  Flesh  and  blood 
tell  them  that  there  cannot  be  three  persons  in  one  God,  and  so  they 
fall  back  upon  the  "divine  element." 

Others  maintain  that  there  was  nothing  divine  at  all  in  Christ; 
that  He  was  man,  although  endowed  with  higher  powers  than  any 
other  man.  In  the  words  of  Herod,  they  say  that  mighty  works 
shew  forth  themselves  in  Him. 

Others,  whilst  denying  our  Lord's  divinity,  deny  also  His  power 


i82         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

of  working  miracles,  and  say  that  He  was  a  man,  possessing  a  very 
profound  insight  into  the  mysteries  of  nature,  and  this  enabled  Him 
to  perform  many  wonderful  works. 

Others  declare  that  the  chief  thing  in  Christ  was  not  His  power, 
but  the  nobility  and  purity  of  His  character.  They  look  upon  Him 
as  a  sinless  man,  and  our  great  example  in  leading  a  good  life  and 
doing  good  works. 

Others  again  deny  that  He  was  sinless,  and  maintain  that  He  was 
guilty  of  little  weaknesses  and  mistakes,  though  to  a  less  degree 
than  others,  so  that,  in  spite  of  His  faults,  He  is  still  a  noble  example 
for  us. 

Finally  there  are  some  who  actually  pronounce  Him  to  have  been 
a  great  sinner,  a  charlatan,  who  pretended  to  be  God's  only  begotten 
Son,  whilst  He  was  really  nothing  of  the  kind,  and  who  professed 
to  have  divine  powers  that  He  did  not  possess. 

Therefore,  amongst  men  of  the  present  day,  as  amongst  the  Jews 
of  old,  many  different  replies  are  given  to  the  question,  "What  think 
ye  of  Christ?" 

This  is  because  people  still  continue  to  ask  counsel  of  "flesh  and 
blood,"  which  can  never  reveal  the  truth.  A  great  many  try  to 
arrive  at  some  opinion  regarding  Christ  by  thinking,  studying  and 
reasoning  for  themselves ;  they  boldly  make  assertions  that  are  per- 
fectly worthless,  since  they  are  guided  only  by  their  own  intellect. 
From  time  to  time  they  become  aware  of  the  weakness  of  their  argu- 
ments, but  cannot  resolve  to  seek  the  answer  to  the  question  from 
any  authority  superior  to  flesh  and  blood,  and  therefore  they  never 
are  at  peace,  for  the  human  heart  cannot  rest  until  it  has  an  answer 
<on  the  subject  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Whence  are  we  to  obtain  this  answer?  One  thing  is  certain — 
nothing  has   ever  occupied  the  thoughts  of  men  so  much  as  the 


SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  183 

question:  "What  think  ye  of  Christ?"  Attempts  may  be  made  to 
disregard  it,  and  most  conflicting  answers  have  been  given  to  it, 
but  still  the  question  faces  us,  and  cannot  be  ignored.  Even  those 
who  deny  its  importance  cannot  help  discussing  it,  and  this  alone 
is  a  proof  that  they  are  forced  to  consider  it.  It  is  indeed  the  most 
important  of  all  questions,  since  upon  the  answer  given  to  it  de- 
pends our  salvation.  It  is  a  vital  matter  to  know  what  we  think  of 
Christ.  When  St.  Peter  made  his  confession,  our  Lord  said  to  him : 
"Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-Jona;  because  flesh  and  blood  hath 
not  revealed  it  to  thee,  but  my  Father,  who  is  in  heaven."  Flesh  and 
blood  can  no  more  reveal  to  us  than  to  St.  Peter  what  we  ought 
to  believe  concerning  Christ.  We,  too,  can  learn  this  only  from 
our  heavenly  Father.  A  question  of  such  vital  importance,  upon 
which  depends  our  eternal  happiness  or  misery,  must  be  answered 
from  above ;  it  is  vain  to  ask  men  to  decide  it. 

We  must  therefore  have  recourse  to  our  heavenly  Father.  How 
is  this  to  be  done?  Fanatics  and  visionaries  declare  that  God  speaks 
through  His  Spirit  directly  to  their  hearts,  and  reveals  to  them 
what  they  ought  to  think  of  Christ.  Thousands  of  such  people  have 
come  forward  at  dififerent  times,  proclaiming  various  opinions. 
Each  professes  to  be  guided  by  God's  Spirit,  but  they  contradict, 
hate  and  persecute  one  another.  Their  doctrines  must  be  false  for 
this  very  reason,  as  it  is  inconceivable  that  our  heavenly  Father 
should  inculcate  contradiction,  hatred  and  persecution.  These 
things  proceed  from  flesh  and  blood,  not  from  God,  and  when  such 
teachers  try  to  persuade  themselves  and  others  that  they  are  in- 
spired by  God,  they  are  obviously  mistaken. 

Human  beings  require  something  firm  and  visible,  to  which  they 
can  cling  with  confidence.  Otherwise  they  are  apt  to  confuse 
thoughts  suggested  by  flesh  and  blood  with  thoughts  inspired  by 


l84         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

God.  We  should  be  thankful  that  we,  Catholics,  possess  something 
firm,  visible  and  perfectly  trustworthy  to  which  to  adhere.  We 
have,  namely,  God's  revelation  to  the  Apostles,  which  they  have 
handed  down  to  us.  They  left  us  the  Bible,  and  we  learn  from  it 
what  we  ought  to  believe  and  confess  about  Jesus  Christ.  This 
statement  is  correct  as  far  as  it  goes;  but  if  it  means  that  every 
individual  is  free  and  able  to  interpret  the  Bible  as  he  thinks  right, 
it  is  unsatisfactory,  and  those  who  make  it  are  not  much  better  off 
than  those  who  fancy  that  God's  Spirit  speaks  directly  to  their 
hearts,  for  the  Bible  is  understood  and  interpreted  in  a  vast  number 
of  different  and  contradictory  ways.  There  is  no  unanimity  of 
opinion  regarding  points  upon  which  our  salvation  depends,  and  not 
only  regarding  matters  of  less  importance.  Some  assert,  and  others 
deny,  that  the  Bible  teaches  anything  definite  on  the  subjects  of  the 
Trinity,  original  sin,  the  divinity  of  Christ  and  the  Atonement. 
Anything  and  everything  is  found  in  the  Bible  by  honest  and  learned 
men,  as  well  as  by  the  ignorant  and  superficial,  and  we  are  driven 
to  the  conclusion  that  God  cannot  intend  to  teach  us  to  know  Christ 
simply  by  means  of  the  Bible  and  nothing  else. 

Jesus  Christ  founded  and  bequeathed  to  us  an  Apostolic  Church, 
which  existed  before  the  Apostles  wrote  anything.  Centuries 
passed  before  their  works  were  collected  and  made  into  one  volume 
for  the  instruction  of  the  faithful.  The  collection  was  made  by 
the  Catholic  Church,  but,  after  it  was  formed,  a  long  time  elapsed 
before  the  invention  of  printing  made  it  possible  for  the  Bible  to 
be  widely  circulated,  and  even  now  it  is  far  from  being  in  the  hands 
of  every  individual.  If  it  were  God's  will  that  we  should  learn  to 
confess  Christ  through  the  Bible  and  Bible  only,  deriving,  each  of 
us,  his  information  directly  and  solely  from  the  revelation  that  it 
contains,  then  indeed  have  all  our  forefathers  been  in  evil  case. 


SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  185 

People  talk  of  "the  Bible  only."  But  which  Bible  do  they  mean? 
The  Bible  was  written  originally  partly  in  Hebrew,  partly  in  Greek. 
Comparatively  few  amongst  us  can  read  these  two  languages,  and 
consequently  few  are  in  a  position  to  criticize  the  accuracy  of  our 
translations.  Fewer  still  have  received  the  training  requisite  to 
enable  them  to  determine  the  correct  readings  of  the  original  text. 
In  the  New  Testament  alone  there  are  about  50,000  variant  read- 
ings. How  many  people  are  capable  of  discriminating  between 
them?  If  we  could  learn  what  we  are  bound  to  believe  and  confess, 
only  from  the  Bible  alone,  by  a  direct  and  independent  study  of  the 
original  text,  most  men  would  indeed  be  in  a  pitiable  condition. 
But,  thank  God,  this  is  not  the  case.  Jesus  Christ  Himself  founded 
His  Church  on  earth,  and  she  collected  the  books  of  the  Bible,  she 
has  ever  guarded  the  purity  of  its  text,  and  caused  careful  trans- 
lations to  be  made.  She  can  expound  the  Bible,  for  she  was  com- 
missioned to  do  so  by  our  Lord,  who  promised  to  teach  her  all  truth 
(John  xvi,  13),  and  He  established  her  to  be  the  pillar  and  ground 
of  the  truth  (i  Tim.  iii,  15).  Hence  we  may  safely  trust  the  Church 
to  guide  us  to  a  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  when  we  say  that  we 
learned  this  from  the  Bible,  we  invariably  mean  the  Bible  as  in- 
terpreted by  the  Church. 

If  we  resolve  to  learn  in  this  way,  which  is  the  only  one  sanc- 
tioned by  God,  we  shall  be  entitled  to  apply  to  ourselves  the  words 
that  our  Saviour  addressed  to  St.  Peter:  "Blessed  art  thou;  because 
flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  to  thee,  but  my  Father  who  is 
in  heaven." 


lS6  CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SEVENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
TRUE  JUSTICE 

"I  tell  you,  that  unless  your  justice  abound  more  than  that  of  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees,  you  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven." — Matt,  v,  20. 

I.  Justice — injustice.  How  much  do  these  words  convey !  Yet 
we  often  utter  them  without  thinking  of  their  profound  significance. 
We  are  unjust,  that  is  to  say,  we  are  sinners.  These  words  are 
easy  enough  to  pronounce:  We  are  sinners.  It  almost  seems  as  if 
we  accepted  the  fact  as  inevitable,  as  if  every  creature  were  bound 
to  be  a  sinner,  and  therefore  the  state  of  sinfulness,  being  universal, 
were  not  so  very  bad  after  all ;  though  it  may  be  sad,  it  appears  to  be 
at  least  excusable. 

Christ  and  the  Apostles  did  not  share  this  opinion.  They  spoke 
often  of  injustice,  because  they  were  aware  that  it  is  an  im- 
measurable evil,  and  the  source  of  all  our  misery.  That  few  people 
recognize  their  own  injustice  becomes  manifest  as  soon  as  they  are 
charged  with  any  fault  or  sin.  In  nine  out  of  ten  cases  the  person 
accused  either  denies  or  excuses  his  guilt,  and  pleads  that  he  was 
not  to  blame.  Where  a  man's  guilt  is  obvious,  and  even  when  no 
serious  offence  has  been  committed,  he  will  not  hesitate  to  lie,  and 
to  deny  his  injustice.  If  you  were  to  keep  a  strict  watch  over  your 
thoughts  for  one  single  day,  you  would  soon  discover  how  many  of 
them  are  holy.  If  you  were  to  examine  your  emotions  and  impulses, 
you  would  soon  find  out  whether  they  are  altogether  creditable. 
How  many  of  your  words  are  the  outcome  of  a  pure,  straight- 
forward disposition?  How  many  of  your  works  proceed  from  real 
love  of  God  and  your  neighbor?    Are  you  striving  to  secure  money 


SEVENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  187 

and  comforts  for  yourself,  or  to  promote  God's  glory  and  the  wel- 
fare of  your  fellow  creatures?  If  you  returned  an  honest  answer 
to  these  questions,  you  would  have  to  confess  that  all  your  thoughts, 
words  and  works  are  more  or  less  stained  with  sin,  impurity  and 
injustice. 

Carry  your  self-examination  a  step  further,  and  ask  yourself  what 
is  the  cause  of  your  uneasin&ss  of  mind,  and  of  your  lack  of  true 
peace  and  happiness.  Many  and  perhaps  all  of  your  troubles  are 
due  to  your  moral  shortcomings. 

If  men  could  only  realize  the  profound  injustice  of  their  hearts 
and  mode  of  life,  they  would  never  rest  until  they  had  found  the 
way  of  justice;  in  other  words,  they  would  become  Christians. 

II.  We  must  be  honest  in  this  matter;  otherwise  we  shall  always 
be  unhappy,  for  an  evil  tree  must  necessarily  bring  forth  evil  fruit. 
How  can  we  become  just? 

The  Pharisees  thought  themselves  righteous  because  they  led 
respectable  lives  and  did  good  works.  These  things  are  good  and 
praiseworthy.  It  is  always  right  to  do  one's  duty,  and  the  Pharisees 
aimed  at  something  more  than  the  bare  fulfilment  of  the  minimum 
that  could  be  required  of  them.  They  practised  certain  mortifica- 
tions and  accomplished  certain  works  over  and  above  those  imposed 
by  the  law  on  the  whole  Jewish  race.  Many  of  them  were  quite  in 
earnest,  and  we  cannot  imagine  that  Nicodemus,  Joseph  of  Ari- 
mathea,  Paul  and  Gamaliel  were  not  good  men.  Our  Lord  did  not 
condemn  indiscriminately  their  efforts  after  justice,  as  we  can  see 
from  the  words:  "Your  justice  must  abound  more  than  that  of  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees."  That  is  to  say,  your  justice  must  be  greater 
than  theirs ;  their  honesty  and  respectability  were  worth  something, 
but  they  did  not  go  far  enough.  What  was  wrong  with  them?  In 
the  first  place  the  Pharisees  had  no  adequate  perception  of  their 


i88         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

own  sinfulness,  and  consequently  they  did  not  seriously  repent,  nor 
did  they  pray  humbly  for  forgiveness.  In  the  second  place  they 
supposed  that  their  natural  powers  would  enable  them  to  be  just,  and 
many  of  them  prided  themselves  upon  these  powers  and  tried  to 
impress  others  with  a  sense  of  their  superiority,  so  that  they  were 
simply  hypocrites. 

What  is  the  right  way  to  pass  from  injustice  to  justice?  Think 
how  a  child  acts,  who  sees  that  he  has  been  naughty  and  disobedient. 
He  wants  to  be  good,  and  knows  at  once  how  to  set  to  work.  He 
goes  to  his  father  and  asks  to  be  forgiven.  We  learn  the  same 
lesson  from  the  publican  in  the  Temple;  he  prayed,  saying:  "God 
be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner." 

God  is  always  ready  to  be  merciful  and  to  forgive  us  when  we 
repent.  He  pardons  us  especially  in  the  Sacrament  of  Penance, 
where  we  are  justified  through  our  Saviour's  merits,  no  matter  how 
great  and  how  numerous  our  sins  have  been. 

It  is  surely  an  indescribable  benefit  to  us  that  our  holy  and  just 
God,  whose  wrath  is  kindled  by  sin,  and  who  sees  all  the  wickedness 
in  our  hearts,  nevertheless  can  and  will  forgive  us.  It  is  a  grace 
that  we  can  never  deserve;  it  is,  however,  only  the  beginning  of 
justification,  and  woe  to  him  who  stops  short  at  the  beginning,  how- 
ever fair  it  may  be.  He  resembles  a  child,  who  asks  to  be  forgiven, 
but  does  not  try  to  do  better  in  future. 

III.  The  gospel  teaches  us  what  Christ  really  demands  of  us. 
He  wishes  our  justice  to  be  genuine  righteousness  of  life;  He  re- 
quires us  to  cherish  no  unreasonable  anger  in  our  hearts,  to  con- 
demn nobody,  to  be  ready  to  forgive  our  enemies  and  to  seek  for- 
giveness when  we  have  done  wrong  These  are  things  that  we  can- 
not accomplish  without  a  struggle,  for  they  are  contrary  to  human 
nature.    We  have  to  exert  ourselves,  and  seek  the  help  of  God's 


SEVENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  189 

grace  by  persevering  prayer  and  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Sacra- 
ments. 

But  these  things,  however  difficult,  are  necessary;  and  our  Lord 
enjoins  them  so  strictly  as  to  threaten  those  with  the  "judgment," 
the  "council,"  and  "hell  fire,"  who  rely  upon  being  God's  children, 
whilst  they  do  not  show  Him  filial  obedience. 

Strive,  therefore,  to  purify  your  hearts  and  sanctify  your  lives  by 
good  works  and  a  conscientious  discharge  of  all  your  duties.  Other- 
wise to  you  too  will  be  applicable  the  threat  contained  in  the  Gospel, 
and  you  will  not  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  But  on  the  other 
hand  beware  of  relying  upon  your  natural  power  to  attain  unto 
justice.  We  must  err  in  neither  direction,  if  we  wish  to  avoid  self- 
deception,  and  to  become  really  just.  God's  grace  must  do  its  work 
within  us,  and  we  must  labor  faithfully  to  cooperate  with  it;  both 
these  things  are  indispensable  before  we  can  be  truly  just  in  the 
sight  of  God. 


190         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 
EIGHTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST 
"I  HAVE  COMPASSION  ON  THE  MULTITUDE" 

"In  those  days  again  when  there  was  a  great  multitude,  and  they  had 
nothing  to  eat ;  calling  his  disciples  together,  he  saith  to  them :  'I  have  com- 
passion on  the  multitude,  for  behold  they  have  now  been  with  me  three  days, 
and  have  nothing  to  eat.'  "—Mark  viii,  i,  2. 

I.  'T  have  compassion  on  the  multitude."  These  words  were 
uttered  by  our  Saviour  when  He  beheld  the  crowd  gathered  around 
Him  in  the  wilderness.  We  generally  regard  His  words  as  some- 
thing permanent  and  unchanging,  not  as  spoken  with  reference  only 
to  one  occasion,  nor  as  the  expression  of  a  casual  thought  or  im- 
pression. Our  Lord  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  forever, 
and  consequently  His  compassion  remains  always  the  same,  and 
from  the  depths  of  His  sacred  Heart  He  sympathizes  with  all  who 
suffer. 

Does  not  our  experience  prove  the  truth  of  this  statement?  It 
often  does  so  quite  unmistakably.  People  sometimes  lose  all  their 
possessions,  and  stand,  like  the  multitude  of  old,  having  nothing 
to  eat,  with  their  children  crying  for  food.  In  their  distress  they 
lift  up  their  hearts  in  fervent  prayer  to  God,  and  He  hears  and  helps 
them,  as  no  other  helper  can  do,  and  so  they  feel  that  the  Lord  has 
had  compassion  on  them. 

II.  In  the  case  of  others  God's  help  is  less  apparent.  Their  mis- 
ery is  very  great  and  seems  to  have  no  end;  they  pray  again  and 
again,  day  after  day,  year  after  year,  and  cry :  "Lord,  save  us,  we 
perish."  Yet  no  help  comes,  and  God  does  not  answer  their  prayers. 
Has  He  not  heard  them?  or  has  He  ceased  to  feel  compassion? 
They  look  for  one  to  comfort  them,  and  find  none. 


EIGHTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  191 

Under  such  circumstances  it  is  no  easy  task  to  offer  consolation ; 
still  less  easy  is  it  to  find  consolation  for  oneself.  We  can  only  say 
to  one  suffering  thus:  "If  the  Lord  tarry,  yet  wait  for  Him;  He 
will  surely  come  with  comfort  and  help  at  the  time  that  He  knows 
to  be  best.  Above  all  things  trust  Him  and  His  love;  He  wishes 
to  purify  and  sanctify  you  by  letting  you  suffer." 

On  one  occasion  I  made  a  remark  of  this  kind  to  a  woman  who 
had  lost  her  husband  and  all  her  children,  and  she  replied:  "No, 
I  cannot  believe  that  God  wishes  to  purify  and  sanctify  me.  My 
sorrow  makes  me  worse,  not  better.  I  have  prayed  in  vain  for  so 
long  that  I  cannot  believe  in  God's  mercy  any  more ;  I  have  lost  all 
faith  and  hope  in  Him.  I  cannot  and  will  not  continue  to  pray  to 
a  God,  who  either  does  not  hear  me,  or  who  refuses  to  have  mercy 
upon  me.  He  certainly  has  no  compassion  on  me,  and  therefore, 
T  cannot  believe  in  Him.  My  troubles  have  hardened  me;  they 
have  done  me  no  good." 

This  poor  woman  was  in  a  fearful  condition,  but  there  is  perhaps 
a  still  more  intense  form  of  misery.  It  is  felt  by  those  in  spiritual 
darkness,  whose  souls  are  deprived  of  their  daily  bread  and  are 
exposed  to  the  assaults  of  their  deadly  enemy.  They  cannot  dis- 
cover God's  will,  and  although  they  pray:  "Teach  me  to  do  Thy 
will" — no  light  comes  to  them;  their  darkness  is  unbroken.  We 
like  to  see  God's  will  clearly,  and  so  we  pray:  "Perfect  Thou  my 
goings  in  Thy  paths" — we  wish  to  perceive  the  paths,  not  to  have 
them  hidden.  We  desire  that  God  should  hear  us,  and  when 
trouble  overtakes  us  we  cry:  "Bow  down  Thy  ear  to  me;  make 
haste  to  deliver  me" ;  and  yet  God  seems  deaf  to  our  petitions,  nor 
does  He  stretch  out  His  powerful  hand  to  help  us. 

Our  souls  long  for  peace,  and  we  exclaim:  "Who  will  give  me 
wings  like  a  dove,  and  T  will  fly  away  and  be  at  rest?" — but  never- 


192         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

theless  as  a  rule  the  strength  is  not  given,  and  we  can  hardly  help 
being  swallowed  up  in  the  vortex  of  despair. 

We  call  upon  God  and  ask  Him  why  He  withholds  His  light; 
surely  it  would  be  pleasing  to  Him  that  we  should  see  and  foHcw 
His  paths;  but  the  darkness  continues.  We  remind  our  Saviour 
that  He  said  of  old:  "If  I  send  the  multitude  away  fasting,  they 
will  faint  on  the  way,"  and  we  ask  Him  if  He  will  let  us  perish  of 
exhaustion;  but  no  answer  comes,  and  we  are  on  the  verge  of  de- 
spair, Some  amongst  us  may  have  strayed  far  from  their  Father "s 
home,  but  are  now  converted  by  prayer  and  penance,  and  hunger 
for  the  daily  bread  of  their  souls,  and  know  not  where  to  find  it. 
Their  need  is  very  great,  and  yet  they  experience  no  help ;  what  are 
they  to  do? 

HI.  How  can  we  account  for  God's  apparent  unwillingness  to 
hear  us?  We  ought  to  believe  that  His  thoughts  and  ways  are  as 
far  above  ours  as  heaven  is  above  the  earth,  and  although  we  may 
not  in  the  least  understand  why  He  lets  us  wait  so  long,  we  have 
no  right  to  grumble,  and  even  should  He  allow  us  to  suffer  more 
than  we  do,  we  cannot  complain  of  God's  injustice,  because  we  are 
sinners.  All  that  we  have  to  bear  is  a  punishment  for  our  sins,  and 
the  penalty  is  always  less  than,  never  in  excess  of,  our  deserts.  Sor- 
row may  be  intended  to  test  us,  and  those  who  suffer  most  have  still 
good  cause  to  thank  God  for  His  mercy.  We  ought  to  believe  that 
a  night  of  tears  is  followed  by  a  morning  of  rejoicing  for  all  who 
have  learned  how  to  mourn  over  their  sins  and  to  rely  upon  God's 
mercy. 

When  all  is  dark  around  them,  some  people  make  the  mistake  of 
supposing  that  it  is  useless  to  pray,  or  else  that  it  is  an  impossibility. 
Consequently  they  give  up  prayer  and  cease  to  receive  the  Sacra- 
ments, thus  behaving  like  sick  persons  who  refuse  to  see  a  physician 


EIGHTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  193 

and  to  take  the  remedies  prescribed.  It  is  most  important  that  we 
should  not  let  our  troubles  make  us  abandon  our  usual  prayers,  or 
abstain  from  the  means  of  grace  prescribed  and  recommended  by 
the  Church.  Prayer  and  the  Sacraments  are  indispensable  to  every 
sufferer,  no  matter  whether  he  feels  drawn  to  them  or  not.  If  you 
cannot  pray  in  words,  you  can  at  least  cry  out  to  God  for  help.  We 
find  most  beautiful  and  encouraging  words  in  Holy  Scripture  and 
in  the  prayers  of  the  Church,  and  we  should  use  them,  when  speech 
fails  us.  Even  if  God's  word  seems  no  longer  to  ring  true,  listen 
to  it  more  attentively  than  ever;  and  let  no  temptation  to  unbelief, 
no  sense  of  your  own  unworthiness,  and  no  disinclination  keep  you 
away  from  the  Sacraments.  Receive  them  better  and  with  more 
careful  preparation  than  usual. 

If  we  act  thus  we  shall  experience  the  truth  of  the  old  saying: 
"God  has  His  own  times  for  action  and  for  delay" — we  shall  learn 
that  when  our  need  is  greatest,  grace  is  given  most  abundantly,  and 
that  our  Lord  still  has  compassion  on  the  multitude. 


194        CATHOLIC  CHKlSriANllY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 
NINTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 

THE  TREE  AND  ITS,  FRUIT 

"Every  good  tree  bringeth  forth  good  fruit,  and  the  evil  tree  bringeth  forth 
evil  fruit.    -Matt,  vii,  17. 

I.  An  evil  tree  is  known  by  its  evil  fruits,  and  the  evil  fruit  on 
the  tree  of  human  life  consists  of  wicked  words  and  deeds.  A  man 
may  express  such  noble  sentiments  that  you  would  imagine  him  to 
be  a  model  of  purity  and  goodness,  but  Satan  knows  how  to  assume 
the  form  of  an  angel  of  light  and  to  utter  words  of  wisdom.  As  soon 
however  as  there  is  any  question  of  charity  towards  one's  neighbor, 
of  self-sacrifice  and  of  genuine  honesty,  a  man's  real  character  is 
revealed  and  his  sanctity  is  often  seen  to  exist  merely  in  word  and 
not  in  deed,  for  his  true  disposition  does  not  agree  with  his  profes- 
sion of  virtue,  and  betrays  itself  in  bad,  selfish,  ungenerous  and  dis- 
honest actions. 

Some  people  maintain  that  sin  is  a  trifle,  provided  that  we  have 
faith,  since  God  regards  our  faith  and  not  our  works.  A  living 
faith  is,  however,  incompatible  with  a  Godless  life;  it  is  as  impossible 
for  the  two  to  be  reconciled  as  it  is  for  men  to  gather  grapes  from 
thorns  or  figs  from  thistles.  Our  Lord's  words,  recorded  in  to-day's 
Gospel,  show  that  some  day  He  will  examine  the  tree  of  our  life, 
and  if  He  finds  nothing  but  evil  fruit  upon  it.  He  will  hew  it  down 
and  cast  it  into  the  fire.  Although  we  may  not  consciously  go  so 
far  as  to  suppose  that  sin  does  no  harm  to  a  believer,  we  may  grad- 
ually fall  into  the  habit  of  making  no  use  of  faith  and  grace,  whilst 
our  hearts  grow  callous  and  our  lives  are  sinful  and  corrupt.     If 


NINTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  195 

the  Judge  should  examine  a  tree  in  this  condition,  He  would  con- 
demn it ;  faith  alone  would  not  satisfy  Him. 

Among  evil  fruits  we  must  include  bad  words  as  well  as  bad 
actions ;  for  our  Lord  tells  us  that  we  shall  have  to  give  an  account 
of  them.  Blasphemous  remarks,  impure  conversations  and  frivolous 
gossip  are  bad  words  in  the  usual  sense,  but  we  must  not  overlook 
uncharitable  speeches,  not  merely  because  they  betoken  an  unchari- 
table disposition,  whereas  love  is  the  fulfilment  of  the  law  (Rom. 
xiii,  10),  but  also  because  they  do  so  much  harm.  An  uncharitable 
word,  uttered  in  an  unguarded  moment  of  excitement,  may  give 
rise  to  estrangement  and  hostility,  and  eventually  even  to  hatred. 

Nothing  grows  so  quickly  as  a  weed,  and  nothing  springs  up 
more  readily  in  our  hearts  than  a  spirit  of  anger.  The  man  whom 
you  have  injured  by  your  careless  words  will  in  his  turn  injure 
others,  and  so  the  evil  has  no  end.  "The  tongue  is  a  little  member, 
and  boasteth  great  things;  behold  how  small  a  fire,  what  a  great 
wood  it  kindleth!  And  the  tongue  is  a  fire,  a  world  of  iniquity" 
(James  iii,  5,  6).  If  we  think  over  these  truths,  we  shall  under- 
stand why  our  Lord  said :  "By  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  condemned" 
(Matt,  xii,  37). 

n.  A  good  tree  is  known  by  its  good  fruit,  and  the  good  fruit 
on  the  tree  of  human  life  consists  of  good  words  and  works.  To 
a  certain  extent  it  is  possible  for  a  hypocrite  to  utter  fair  words 
and  to  lead  a  blameless  life,  but  it  is  extremely  difficult  for  him  to 
keep  it  up,  and  as  a  rule  his  words  and  actions  do  not  accord  with 
one  another ;  since  an  evil  tree  cannot  bear  good  fruit.  People  are 
very  apt  to  be  misled  by  appearances,  and  much  harm  is  done  wlien 
a  wretched  hypocrite  is  mistaken  for  a  good  man,  though  it  is  still 
more  disastrous,  and  a  serious  offence  against  charity,  to  consider 
a  true  child  of  God  to  be  a  worthless  and  frivolous  character. 


196        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

If  a  man  is  pure  and  upright  both  in  his  language  and  in  his  mode 
of  life,  It  is  our  duty  to  regard  him  as  a  follower  of  God,  because 
an  evil  tree  cannot  bear  good  fruit.  It  is  true  that  God  alone  is 
able  to  survey  all  our  innermost  thoughts  and  intentions,  and  ulti- 
mately it  is  for  Him,  and  not  for  us,  to  judge.  It  is  very  probable 
that  at  the  last  great  day  of  reckoning  many  will  see  to  their  sur- 
prise that  they  have  been  deceived  by  wretched  hypocrites,  and  many 
will  be  overwhelmed  with  shame  for  having  thought  evil  of  God's 
faithful  servants,  and  for  having  rashly  condemned  those  with 
whom  they  were  not  worthy  to  associate. 

III.  What  ought  we  to  do  in  order  to  bear  good  fruit?  We 
are  like  wild  olives  that  must  be  ingrafted  into  the  good  and  fruit- 
ful tree  (Rom.  xi,  17).  Christ  is  the  tree,  and  all  His  disciples  are 
branches.  We  were  ingrafted  into  Him  at  our  baptism,  and  if  any 
of  us  subsequently  become  dry  and  barren  branches,  the  union  be- 
tween us  and  our  Saviour  must  be  renewed.  This  reunion  is 
effected  by  repentance  and  sorrow  for  sin,  by  asking  forgiveness 
of  our  heavenly  Father  and  receiving  it  in  the  Holy  Sacrament  of 
Penance,  where  new  life  is  given  to  the  soul,  and  this  life  is  in- 
creased and  strengthened  by  our  Redeemer  when  He  gives  Himself 
to  us  in  the  most  holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar.  Holy  Communion 
is  the  most  perfect  union  of  a  believer  with  Jesus  Christ  (John  vi, 
57,  etc.).  When  we,  the  branches,  are  once  more  united  with  our 
Lord,  we  shall  bear  fruit  to  His  honor,  both  in  our  words  and  in 
our  works.  Yes,  it  will  be  to  His  honor,  for  His  life  within  us 
produces  the  fruit,  as  does  the  sap  flowing  from  the  stem  into  all 
the  branches.  Therefore  the  honor  Is  His,  and  not  our  own. 
Praised  be  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


I 


TENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  Hffj 

TENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
A  STANDARD  FOR  APPRAISING  THE  VALUE  OF  LIFE 

"And  the  Lord  said :  'Who  is  the  fruitful  and  wise  steward,  whom  his  lord 
setteth  over  his  famil}'-,  to  give  them  their  measure  of  wheat  in  good  season?' " 
— Luke  xii,  42. 

I.  Success  is  the  standard  whereby  most  people  judge  the  value 
and  happiness  of  their  lives.  If  a  man  is  endowed  with  good  abili- 
ties and  abundant  means,  and  makes  a  wise  use  of  both,  he  is  suc- 
cessful, and  everyone  looks  upon  him  as  clever,  energetic  and  indus- 
trious. At  the  close  of  his  life  he  sees  that  he  has  accomplished 
much  that  will  benefit  others  as  well  as  himself ;  his  fellow  country- 
men admire  and  respect  him,  and  it  seems  impossible  that  God 
should  not  esteem  him  and  his  achievements  very  highly.  It  is 
taken  for  granted  that  he  is  a  very  worthy  and  a  very  happy  man, 
and  he  is  loaded  with  honors  in  life  and  after  death. 

Of  course  the  multitude  may  be  right  in  their  opinion;  their 
judgment  regarding  him  may  be  the  same  as  God's,  and  the  man 
may  be  as  happy  as  they  imagine.  In  any  case  he  has  accomplished 
an  honorable  task  and  made  a  good  use  of  his  talents  and  oppor- 
tunities. He  has  spared  no  effort  to  do  what  he  thought  important, 
and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  this,  like  every  other  good  action,  is 
pleasing  to  God.  Moreover,  it  brings  with  it  a  kind  of.  happiness 
and  contentment  that  are  far  more  solid  than  any  afforded  by  sensual 
delights.  It  is  quite  possible,  therefore,  for  a  successful  man  to  be 
happy  and  honorable. 

It  is,  however,  equally  possible  for  him  to  be  a  rogue  and  utterly 
miserable.  This  will  be  the  case  if  he  has  aimed  all  his  efforts  at 
acquiring  riches,  or  worldly  honors  and  reputation,  or  an  influential 


198       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

position  in  society,  or  some  other  purely  temporal  object,  and  has 
cared  nothing  for  God's  glory,  or  for  the  welfare  of  his  neighbors. 
A  most  successful  man  may  be  a  pitiable  scoundrel,  although  he  has 
won  a  great  name  and  is  applauded  by  thousands ;  for  the  multitude 
seldom  take  the  trouble  to  form  an  independent  opinion;  they  are 
like  the  inhabitants  of  Ephesus,  who  cried:  "Great  is  Diana  of  the 
Ephesians,"  not  knowing  why  they  did  so,  but  each  being  carried 
away  by  those  around  him.  It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  prove  to 
you  that  a  successful  man  is  not  always  good  and  upright;  and 
how  can  we  assume  that  God  values  our  work  according  to  the 
measure  of  success  that  we  achieve?  Is  it  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  He  is  guided  by  this  standard  in  assigning  happiness  for  time 
and  for  eternity?  No;  it  is  impossible  to  think  that  God  cares 
about  our  success,  and  consequently  we  are  forced  to  believe  that 
there  is  some  other  standard  determining  the  value  and  happiness 
of  each  individual.    To-day's  Gospel  teaches  us  what  it  is. 

II.  God  is  guided  by  our  fidelity,  not  by  our  success;  His  judg- 
ment differs  altogether  from  that  of  the  world.  A  man  may  have 
abilities  and  means  at  his  disposal,  and  he  may  labor  honestly  and 
industriously,  but  always  with  very  little  or  no  success.  He  toils 
to  serve  God  and  to  do  his  duty  in  the  station  assigned  to  him,  and 
yet,  for  some  reason  or  other,  he  never  attains  to  what  the  world 
regards  as  success.  His  life  abounds  in  disappointments,  rather 
than  in  good  results. 

In  such  a  case  as  this  the  world  sets  no  value  at  all  upon  the 
man's  industry  and  fidelity  to  duty;  it  looks  only  at  achievements, 
and  when  it  perceives  none,  it  feels  nothing  but  contemptuous  pity. 
It  looks  coldly  and  unsympathetically  upon  an  honest  worker,  whose 
one  thought  is  to  serve  God  and  do  his  duty,  and  it  fawns  upon  a 
wealthy  scoundrel,  who  is  thoroughly  corrupt,  but  who  has  found 


TENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  igp 

out  how  to  arrive  at  brilliant  results.  The  superficial  minds  of  the 
multitude  can  appreciate  these  results,  and  sc  all  with  one  accord 
join  in  extolling^  them. 

Th''-  wealthy  scoundrel  is  far  lower  in  the  sight  of  God  than  is 
the  faithful  laborer  who  does  all  his  work  for  Hi?  sake.  The  latter, 
not  the  former,  will  enter  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord.  His  efforts 
may  seem  to  have  been  all  in  vain,  but  his  failure  is  only  apparent, 
for  no  one  works  in  vain  who  works  for  God.  A  faithful  servant 
believes  this  truth,  and  amidst  all  his  troubles  and  want  of  success 
he  experiences  consolation  and  happiness,  such  as  a  selfish  man, 
aiming  at  his  own  aggrandisement,  never  enjoys.  He  knows  that 
he  is  in  God's  grace  and  pleasing  to  his  Master,  who  cares  nothing 
for  the  favor  and  applause  of  the  world.  Perhaps  you  seem  to  have 
accomplished  nothing  in  life,  to  have  suffered  incessantly  and  to  be 
no  good  to  anyone — if  you  have  endured  all  this  in  a  spirit  of 
humility,  patience  and  obedience,  you  have,  in  the  sight  of  God, 
done  good  work;  and  if  you  continue  faithful  to  the  end,  you  will 
enter  into  the  joy  of  your  Lord;  not  because  you  have  been  suc- 
cessful, but  because  of  your  fidelity.  The  world  is  often  wrong 
in  its  estimates;  men  frequently  make  much  of  some  miserable 
favorite,  and  neglect,  despise  and  trample  upon  God's  faithful 
servants,  who  go  their  way  quietly,  unnoticed  by  others  and  desir- 
ing only  to  be  allowed  to  stand  on  the  threshold  of  God's  house 
here  below,  although  hereafter  they  will  be  admitted  as  heirs  to 
their  Father's  home  in  heaven,  for  such  is  the  reward  promised  to 
fidelity.    Therefore,  be  ye  faithful  unto  death! 


200        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

ELEVENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
CERTAINTY  AND  FEAR 

"Simon  Peter  answered  him :  'Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go  ?     Thou  hast  the 
words  of  eternal  life.' " — John  vi,  69. 

I.  It  is  most  desirable  for  us  to  feel  assurance  regarding  our 
salvation,  since  to  doubt  would  be  a  mark  of  want  of  confidence  in 
God  and  His  promises,  as  well  as  in  grace,  in  Christ  and  in  the 
Gospel.  Such  assurance  is  possible  only  if  we  rely  with  absolute 
confidence  upon  God's  promises  given  in  the  Gospel,  and  are  satis- 
fied regarding  our  spiritual  condition  and  its  permanence.  Is  it  an 
unerring  sign  of  humility  for  a  man  to  be  always  cheerful  and  free 
from  anxiety  ?  Is  it  not  a  proof  that  he  relies  only  on  grace,  not  on 
himself  ?  We  often  hear  harsh  criticisms  passed  upon  worthy  peo- 
ple who  are  by  no  means  free  from  anxiety  about  their  spiritual 
state  and  their  own  perseverance.  They  cannot  always  be  cheerful 
because  they  often  feel  alarm,  and  are  really  working  out  their 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,  being  glad  if  they  can  retain 
what  St.  Peter  calls  "a  lively  hope."  Such  people  as  these  will 
appreciate  to-day's  Gospel,  but  it  will  not  appeal  to  those  who  feel 
absolute  confidence  in  their  own  safety. 

II.  As  a  rule  Holy  Scripture  does  not  encourage  us  to  be  over- 
confident of  being  in  the  state  of  grace,  and  to-day's  Gospel  con- 
tains an  emphatic  warning  against  assurance  which  stimulates  humil- 
ity, but  really  is  due  to  superficiality  and  want  of  thought,  and  is 
fraught  with  very  grave  dangers. 

Besides  the  apostles  there  were  many  genuine  disciples  who  had 
attached  themselves  to  our  Lord,  but  yet  they  "went  back  and 
walked  no  more  with  Him."    They  abandoned  their  faith  and  fell 


ELEVENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  20i 

back  into  their  previous  state,  because  of  our  Saviour's  discourse 
regarding  Himself  as  the  Bread  of  Life.  He  said:  "Except  you 
eat  the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man,  and  drink  His  blood,  you  shall  not 
have  life  in  you"  (John  vi,  54).  "My  flesh  is  meat  indeed,  and  my 
blood  is  drink  indeed"  (v.  56).  These  words  vexed  them,  and  they 
asked,  like  the  Jews :  "How  can  this  man  give  us  His  flesh  to  eat?" 
They  complained  that  it  was  a  hard  saying,  and  so  they  forsook 
Christ. 

The  same  thing  happens  at  the  present  day.  No  one  can  be  sure 
that  he  will  never  feel  impelled  to  cavil  at  God's  word  and  question 
passages  which  he  does  not  understand,  because  they  are  altogether 
beyond  human  comprehension.  We  must  not  be  over-confident,  and 
in  many  matters  affecting  our  ultimate  salvation  God  requires  us 
not  to  rely  upon  our  own  intelligence.  He  asks  of  us  many  sacri- 
fices; sometimes  He  calls  upon  us  to  surrender  what  we  love  most 
on  earth,  just  as  He  bade  Abraham  offer  his  only  son  Isaac,  whom 
he  loved,  as  a  holocaust.  When  such  demands  are  made  upon  us, 
we  may  think  them  terribly  "hard  sayings,"  and  they  have  from 
time  to  time  caused  genuine  disciples  of  our  Lord  to  fall  away  from 
Him.    Hence  we  should  never  be  too  sure  of  ourselves. 

The  Gospel  teaches  us  yet  another  lesson.  Jesus  asked  the 
Twelve:  "Will  you  also  go  away?"  and  this  question  moved  St. 
Peter  to  bear  a  glorious  testimony  to  his  faith:  "Lord,  to  whom 
shall  we  go?  Thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life;  and  we  have 
believed  and  have  known  that  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God." 
Are  these  not  magnificent  words?  They  were  uttered  by  Peter, 
the  prince  of  the  apostles,  who  was  always  foremost  amongst  them ; 
and  it  was  to  him  that  our  Lord  said :  "Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon 
this  rock  I  will  build  my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
prevail  against  it"  (Matt,  xvi,  18).     Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  all 


202         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

his  faith  and  love,  and  in  spite  of  his  glorious  confession,  he  fell 
so  low  as  to  deny  his  Master  with  oaths  and  curses.  If  Peter  fell 
thus,  can  we  trust  ourselves  to  be  faithful  unto  death?  St.  Peter 
rose  again  after  his  denial  and  became  the  rock  on  which  the  Church 
was  founded,  and  finally  he  proved  his  fidelity  by  dying  a  martyr's 
death. 

There  was,  however,  another  apostle,  who  undoubtedly  was  at  first 
a  good  and  faithful  follower  of  Christ,  for  otherwise  He  would  not 
have  called  him  to  the  apostolate.  Yet  he  fell  to  such  shameful 
depths  as  acutally  to  betray  his  Master,  who  spoke  of  him  as  "a. 
devil."  Can  any  one  trust  himself  to  persevere  in  the  faith  unto 
the  end? 

III.  St.  Peter  knew  by  sad  experience  that  we  ought  never  to 
be  self-reliant;  he  never  forgot  his  fall,  and  an  old  legend  tells  us 
that  he  wept  whenever  he  heard  a  cock  crow.  He  had  learned  to 
pray :  "Lead  us  not  into  temptation,"  and  St.  Paul,  though  he  spoke 
much  of  the  glorious  gift  of  grace,  admonished  his  followers  to 
work  out  their  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling.  These  befit 
us  far  better  than  over-confidence.  Hence  the  Gospel  says  to  one 
who  feels  sure  of  his  faith  and  perseverance:  "Beware,  you  are 
in  a  dangerous  condition,  in  which  many  good  Christians  have  fallen 
to  such  a  depth  that  they  have  never  risen  again.  If  you  are 
standing,  be  on  your  guard  lest  you  fall;  and  if  you  abound 
in  happy  confidence,  do  not  altogether  exclude  fear."  On 
the  other  hand,  one  who  desponds  regarding  his  spiritual 
condition  and  his  hold  upon  the  faith,  and  doubts  his  ability 
to  persevere  in  future,  but  who  says,  like  the  man  in  the  Gospel, 
"Lord,  I  believe,  help  Thou  my  unbelief,"  should  take  courage  and 
remind  himself  that  with  a  good  and  honest  purpose  he  is  sure  to 
succeed.    His  hand  may  quiver  as  he  stretches  it  out  in  quest  of 


ELEVENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  203 

God's  grace,  but  the  richest  gift  is  often  placed  in  the  hand  that 
quivers  most.  He  trembles,  not  because  he  is  lacking  in  faith,  but 
because  he  is  humble  and  conscious  of  his  own  unworthiness  and 
frailty. 

IV.  But,  it  may  be  asked,  must  a  believer  necessarily  be  weighed 
down  by  fear  and  sadness  ?  God  forbid !  St.  Peter  had  learned  to 
distrust  himself  and  to  shed  tears  of  sorrow,  and  yet  he  speaks  of 
the  happiness  of  the  Christian  life.  He  has  been  called  "the  apostle 
of  hope,"  and  he  wrote:  "Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  according  to  His  great  mercy  hath  regene- 
rated us  unto  a  lively  hope  in  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from 
the  dead"  (i  Peter  i,  3).  In  this  hope  he  experienced  the  joy  which 
must  suffice  us  in  this  life.  He  felt  he  same  hope  and  joy  as  St. 
Paul,  who  said:  "We  glory  in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of  the  sons 
of  God"  (Rom.  v,  2).  With  this  hope  we  must  rest  contented  until 
it  gives  place  to  full  fruition.  No  one  should  anticipate  this  mo- 
ment; until  the  joy  of  acquisition  is  bestowed,  a  lively  hope  will 
sustain  our  happiness  and  give  us  strength  to  persevere. 


204        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

TWELFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
ASSENT  AND  REFUSAL 

"A  certain  man  had  two  sons,  and  coming  to  the  first,  he  said:  'Son,  go 
work  to-day  in  my  vineyard.'  And  he  answering,  said:  'I  will  not.'  But 
afterwards,  being  moved  with  repentance,  he  went.  And  coming  to  the  other, 
he  said  in  like  manner.  And  he  answering,  said :  'I  go.  Sir,'  and  went  not."— 
Matt,  xxi,  28-30. 

I.  This  parable  is  drawn  from  every  day  life;  a  father  assigns 
tasks  to  his  sons;  one  defies  him,  and  refuses  to  work,  but  after- 
wards repents.  The  other  promises  to  do  what  his  father  wishes, 
but  fails  to  keep  his  word.  We  often  meet  with  men  who  act  in 
both  these  ways,  but  our  Lord  did  not  intend  to  describe  the  attitude 
assumed  by  all  human  beings  with  regard  to  God  and  His  holy  will. 
He  had  in  view  on  the  one  hand  notorious  sinners— "publicans  and 
harlots,"  who  seemed  very  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God,  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  Pharisees,  who  professed  great  zeal  in  His 
service.  There  is  of  course  a  third  class,  consisting  of  those  who 
hear  God's  call,  respond  to  it  gladly  and  perform  their  allotted  task. 
These  are  good  Christians  who  profess  to  be  followers  of  our  Lord, 
and  live  in  accordance  with  their  profession,  being  honest  and 
upright  in  the  sight  of  all  men.  There  are  others  again  who  really 
desire  to  be  God's  children,  who  do,  in  fact,  belong  to  Him,  but 
who  are  weak,  and  reveal  their  weakness  in  all  that  they  do ;  they 
are  wanting  in  will-power  and  in  energy,  but  they  are  neither  wicked 
nor  hypocritical.  Such  people  are  often  judged  most  harshly  by 
their  neighbors,  but  we  may  well  hope  that  in  the  end  they  reach 
their  goal.  Men  set  up  for  themselves  a  standard  by  which  they 
criticize  their  fellow  Christians,  but  their  standard  is  by  no  means 
always  identical  with  that  of  Almighty  God.    On  the  last  great  day 


TWELFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  205 

we  shall  find  that  He  is  infinitely  more  just,  and  at  the  same  time 
infinitely  more  merciful,  than  we  imagined. 

Finally  there  is  a  fourth  class,  consisting  of  those  who  refuse  to 
answer  God's  call,  who  never  repent  and  who  die  impenitent. 

II.  Some  people  declare  that  they  are  eager  to  hear  God's  voice, 
but  they  do  not  obey  it,  and  fail  to  do  His  will.  Notice  what  kind 
of  call  is  meant.  It  is  not  an  invitation  to  lead  an  easy  life,  to  bask 
in  the  sun  of  God's  grace,  and  to  do  nothing  requiring  any  exertion. 
The  father  orders  his  sons  to  go  and  work.  The  point  is  therefore 
whether  they  are  obedient  or  disobedient  to  God's  will  and  com- 
mandment. 

Two  classes  of  men  answer  professing  their  readiness  to  do  God's 
will.  A  great  many  people  lead  a  colorless,  indolent  existence.  They 
have  grown  up  among  Christian  surroundings  and  under  the  influ- 
ence of  Christianity;  outwardly  they  drift  with  the  tide,  and,  as  far 
as  an  onlooker  can  judge,  they  intend  to  do  right.  Perhaps  they 
profess  themselves  Christians,  and  may  even  talk  about  God's  grace, 
meaning  the  grace  that  covers  a  multitude  of  sins.  They  misuse 
this  grace  however  by  making  it  an  excuse  for  an  easy  life,  in  which 
there  is  no  serious  resistance  to  sin  and  no  real  effort  to  work  out 
their  salvation.  They  know  little  or  nothing  about  the  grace  that 
helps  us  to  walk  before  God  in  newness  of  life,  nor  do  they  concern 
themselves  about  the  commandments,  forgetting  that  our  Lord  said : 
"He  that  hath  my  commandments  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that 
loveth  me"  (John  xiv,  21).  "Go  work,  work  in  my  vineyard." 
They  have  no  idea  of  keeping  God's  commandments  or  of  doing 
their  duty,  and  are  quite  content  to  say  that  it  is  impossible,  never 
thinking  that  it  would  be  very  strange  if  He  had  given  us  a  law,  and 
required  us  to  observe  it,  although  He  must  have  been  aware  that 
we  could  do  nothing  of  the  kind.     Weaklings  of  this  class  plead 


2o6        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

that  grace  makes  up  for  all  deficiencies,  and  so  they  do  not  exert 
themselves. 

There  is  another  class  of  those  professing  to  be  ready  to  do  God's 
will,  but  they  are  hypocrites,  and  whilst  they  say  "Yes,"  in  their 
hearts  they  mean  "No."  Outwardly  perhaps  they  seem  ready  enough 
to  do  it,  but  there  are  various  ways  of  saying  "Yes"  and  "No." 
Those  belonging  to  the  other  class  are  often  honest  people  after 
their  own  fashion ;  but  hypocrites  are  not  honest.  They  talk  loud 
and  long  of  the  necessity  of  conversion — only  they  put  off  being 
converted;  they  say  that  we  ought  to  live  for  God — only  they 
resolve  to  continue  a  little  longer  living  for  the  world,  its  pleasures, 
honors  and  possessions ;  they  tell  us  that  we  must  follow  the  narrow 
way, — but  they  go  on  walking  along  the  broad  road.  Of  course  they 
purpose  to  do  better  presently,  and  to  be  converted ;  but  meantime 
they  are  hypocrites.  Their  hypocrisy  is  peculiarly  repulsive  if  they 
seek  to  impress  others  with  their  goodness  and  piety,  and  never 
consider  what  they  must  be  in  God's  sight.  They  say  "Yes,"  but 
only  for  the  sake  of  standing  well  in  the  opinion  of  their  fellow 
men.  The  worst  kind  of  hypocrisy  however  is  connected  with  dead 
faith.  "Faith,  if  it  have  not  works,  is  dead  in  itself"  (James  ii,  17). 
Self-righteousness  and  dead  works  are  not  more  dangerous  than 
dead  faith,  for  works  of  any  kind  require  a  certain  amount  of 
exertion  and  self-conquest,  whereas  dead  faith  is  very  apt  to  lead 
to  inactivity  and  self-deception.  It  suggests  that  God  looks  only 
at  faith,  and  cares  nothing  for  works  and  life,  which  must  inevitably 
be  imperfect.  Such  faith  as  this  leads  to  hypocrisy,  and  many  have 
perished,  all  unaware  of  their  condition.  They  thought  that  they 
ivere  responding  to  God'^  call,  but  they  failed  to  do  His  will,  and 
so  they  were  lost. 

III.     The  other  son  in  the  parable  refused  flatly  to  go  and  work 


TWELFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  207 

in  his  father's  vineyard,  but  afterwards  thought  better  of  it,  and 
went. 

Men  are  strange  creatures :  they  defy  God,  and  refuse  to  hear 
anything  about  Him  or  His  commandments,  about  faith  or  about 
Christ  and  His  Church.  They  choose  to  Hve  and  die  in  unbelief, 
as  freethinkers,  if  not  as  atheists,  without  God  and  outside  the 
Church.  Yet,  after  all,  the  son  who  refused  to  do  his  father's 
bidding  must  have  silently  reproached  himself,  and  have  had  an 
uneasy  consciousness  of  his  disobedience.  Conscience  is  seldom 
completely  silenced,  and  we  may  well  believe  that  from  time  to  time 
even  the  boldest  atheists  hear  its  voice,  for  "there  is  no  peace  to 
the  wicked"  (Is.  Ivii,  21).  In  their  hearts  they  cannot  altogether 
be  deaf  to  the  father's  words:  "Go,  work  to-day  in  my  vineyard," — 
become  an  active  member  of  God's  Kingdom,  cease  to  lead  that 
wretched  life  of  sin,  that  ends  in  disappointment,  not  in  content- 
ment. Some,  it  is  true,  remain  obdurate,  but  others,  like  the  son 
in  the  parable,  are  moved  with  repentance,  and  go  to  the  vineyard. 
We  may  derive  much  consolation  from  these  words.  If  any  one 
dear  to  you  has  gone  astray,  and  if  you  are  inclined  to  despair  of 
him,  remember  that  it  is  your  privilege  to  hope,  as  long  as  life 
lasts;  yes,  it  is  more  than  a  privilege,  it  is  a  duty,  for  the  time  of 
grace  is  not  yet  over.  Even  if  you  have  banished  the  transgressor 
from  the  human  affection  of  your  heart,  love  him  with  the  love  of 
Christ,  and  hope  for  him,  and  pray  for  him.  Do  not  forget  that 
it  is  recorded  of  the  disobedient  son  how  "being  moved  with  repent- 
ance," he  went  to  work  in  the  vineyard. 


2o8        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

THIRTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
TRUTH  AND  ITS  CONFESSION 

"Some  therefore  of  the  Pharisees  said :  'This  man  is  not  of  God,  who 
keepeth  not  the  Sabbath.' " — John  ix,  i6. 

Jesus  had  healed  a  blind  man — thus  bearing  testimony  to  the 
truth  that  He  was  sent  by  God,  and  proving  that  He  had  a  right 
to  demand  our  faith,  when  He  declared  Himself  to  be  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God.  Did  the  Jews  accept  His  testimony  and  believe 
in  Him? — We  can  learn  many  lessons  from  the  account  of  the 
behavior  of  the  Pharisees,  of  the  blind  man  and  of  his  parents 
respectively.  They  represent  the  attitude  adopted  by  three  different 
classes  of  people  towards  the  truth  and  its  acceptation. 

I.  The  Pharisees'  evil  will.  The  miracle  had  undeniably  taken 
place ;  every  one  knew  that  the  man  who  had  been  born  blind  could 
now  see,  and  that  he  had  received  his  sight  because  Jesus  spread 
clay  upon  his  eyes.  Our  Lord  had  worked  a  great  miracle  publicly. 
How  did  the  Pharisees  behave? — They  asked  the  man  how  he  had 
received  his  sight,  and  he  told  them  the  whole  story.  The  occurrence 
took  place  on  the  Sabbath,  and  the  Pharisees  were  quick  to  avail 
themselves  of  this  fact,  and  argued  that  Jesus  could  not  be  of  God, 
because  He  did  not  keep  the  Sabbath.  Can  they  really  have  believed 
their  own  assertion  ?  It  is  hardly  credible ;  there  were  a  great  many 
outward  observances  connected  with  the  Sabbath,  but  surely  they 
did  not  suppose  it  to  be  wrong  to  cure  a  poor  afflicted  person  on 
that  day.  Others  admitted  the  fact  of  the  miracle,  and  asked : 
"How  can  a  man  that  is  a  sinner  do  such  miracles?"  The  two 
parties  of  Pharisees  quarrelled  on  the  subject,  and  their  dispute 
might  well  have  caused  the  incredulous  to  reflect.     They  did  not 


THIRTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  209 

however  desist  from  their  obstinate  attempt  to  shut  their  eyes  to 
the  truth,  so  they  stuck  to  their  argument,  and  maintained  that 
Jesus  could  not  come  from  God,  since  He  healed  the  sick  on  the 
Sabbath.  Then  they  went  on  to  deny  that  the  man  had  ever  been 
blind  at  all,  hoping  thus  to  be  able  to  show  that  no  miracle  had 
taken  place.  They  did  their  utmost  to  avoid  facing  the  truth,  and 
yet  it  was  manifest  to  all  around.  They  called  the  man  who  had 
been  blind,  and  tried  to  frighten  him,  so  that  he  should  not  confess 
the  truth;  they  called  him  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  and  at  that  time  all 
were  in  peril  who  acknowledged  themselves  to  be  our  Lord's  dis- 
ciples, for  whoever  confessed  Him  to  be  the  Messias  was  expelled 
from  the  synagogue,  lost  all  his  civic  rights  as  a  Jew,  and  was 
regarded  as  having  no  share  in  God's  promises,  being  accursed  and 
an  outcast.  This  was  the  worst  misfortune  that  could  befall  a  Jew. 
The  Pharisees  therefore  refused  to  recognize  the  truth,  and  used 
threats  in  order  to  deter  others  from  recognizing  it.  When  these 
threats  failed,  they  had  recourse  to  another  expedient,  and  declared 
Jesus  to  be  so  obscure  a  person  that  they  did  not  know  whence  He 
came.  This  was  a  direct  lie,  if  they  really  knew  anything  about 
Him,  and  it  was  easy  enough  to  obtain  information.  If  however, 
their  ignorance  was  genuine,  it  only  shows  how  little  they  cared 
to  ascertain  the  truth.  Their  whole  line  of  action  reveals  their 
anxiety  to  shut  their  eyes  to  it.  The  miracle  was  plain  enough  to 
all  who  were  willing  to  see,  but  the  wickedness  of  the  Pharisees 
consisted  in  their  refusal  to  face  the  truth,  and  to  acknowledge 
that  a  miracle  had  been  wrought.  Had  they  acknowledged  it,  they 
would  have  been  forced  to  admit  that  Jesus  Christ  was  sent  by  God, 
and  that  consequently  they  were  bound  to  believe  His  word,  since 
He  was  the  Son  of  God.  They  would  rather  do  anything  than 
admit  this  to  be  the  truth,  and  the  attitude  adopted  by  the  Pharisees 


2IO        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

resembles  that  adopted  now  by  men  of  evil  will ;  the  Pharisees  were 
not  singular  in  their  behavior.  Multitudes  in  every  age  refuse  to 
recognize  the  truth,  in  spite  of  miracles  testifying  to  it.  Some  facts 
and  truths  can  be  proved  beyond  all  possibility  of  doubt,  but  men 
simply  reject  them,  preferring  not  to  be  convinced  of  anything  that 
for  some  reason  or  other  they  dislike. 

Everyone  of  us  ought  frequently  to  ask  himself :  "Is  it  quite  cer- 
tain that  I  am  prepared  to  recognize  divine  truth,  and  to  do  with 
all  my  might  what  I  perceive  to  be  God's  holy  will?"  We  should 
do  well  to  pray  earnestly  every  day :  Domine,  doce  me  facere  volun- 
tatem  tuam — O  Lord,  teach  me  to  do  Thy  will.  We  cannot  have 
a  full  knowledge  of  ourselves.  David  prayed  to  be  cleansed  from 
his  secret  sins,  and  in  every  one  of  us  there  lingers  a  remnant  of 
the  desire  to  "detain  the  truth  of  God  in  injustice"  (Rom.  i,  i8), 
an  innate  tendency  to  resist  divine  truth,  when  it  makes  demands 
upon  us.  We  are  not  always  aware  of  these  things,  and  the  Phari- 
sees of  old  may  have  been  equally  blind  to  them ;  it  is  quite  possible 
that  they  were  no  worse  than  some  of  us,  who  refuse  to  recognize 
some  divine  truth,  either  because  he  have  some  secret  natural  aver- 
sion to  it,  or  because  we  are  afraid  of  its  logical  consequences.  A 
man  whose  will  is  not  altogether  honest  with  regard  to  the  truth, 
is  in  great  danger. 

II.  The  cowardly  will  of  the  blind  man's  parents. — The  Jews 
questioned  the  parents  of  the  man  born  blind,  asking  them  if  he 
were  indeed  their  son,  and  whether  he  was  blind  from  his  birth. 
So  far  they  had  no  objection  to  giving  straightforward  answers, 
since  they  saw  no  reason  for  fear.  But  it  was  otherwise  when  they 
were  asked  how  it  was  that  he  had  received  his  sight.  This  was  an 
awkward  question,  so  they  replied:  "How  he  now  seeth,  we  know 
not;  or  who  hath  opened  his  eyes,  we  know  not;  ask  himself,  he 


THIRTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  211 

is  of  age,  let  him  speak  for  himself."  St.  John  adds  that  they 
spoke  thus  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  They  refused  to  commit  them- 
selves, and  shrank  from  confessing  the  truth.  Of  course  they  knew 
that  a  miracle  had  been  wrought,  and  their  son  had  described  exactly 
how  it  had  occurred ;  hence  they  dared  not  simply  deny  it,  but  they 
were  too  cowardly  to  confess  it  before  men ;  "for  the  Jews  had 
already  agreed  among  themselves  that  if  any  man  should  confess 
Jesus  to  be  Christ,  he  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue."  Coward- 
ice sealed  their  lips ;  they  did  not  venture  to  acknowledge  the  truth, 
the  Pharisees  were  unwilling  to  do  so.  In  every  age  there  are  many 
who  resemble  the  blind  man's  parents,  and  who  are  afraid  to  ac- 
knowledge what  in  their  hearts  they  know  to  be  the  truth.  They 
are  too  cowardly  to  put  an  unpleasant  truth  into  words;  they  are 
afraid  to  give  offence  or  to  see  angry  looks,  and  so  they  are  silent, 
although  by  speaking  boldly  they  might  save  a  soul.  They  do  not 
protest  against  prevalent  vices,  wide-spread  abuses  or  deeply  rooted 
prejudices,  although  their  protest  might  benefit  society ;  they  do  not 
wish  to  risk  the  loss  of  position  or  possible  advantage.  They  are 
too  cowardly  to  profess  their  faith  in  the  Church  of  Christ  boldly 
and  without  reserve,  however  much  good  they  could  do  to  the 
Church  if  they  spoke  in  her  defence.  No,  they  are  afraid  of  being 
put  out  of  the  synagogue.  Have  I  spoken  too  harshly? — I  think 
not;  many  of  us  have  good  reason  to  ask  ourselves  whether  we 
are  really  free  from  human  respect  in  all  its  forms. 

III.  The  good  will  of  the  man  horn  blind.  In  contrast  to  the 
evil  will  of  the  Pharisees  and  to  the  cowardice  of  his  own  parents, 
the  man  who  had  been  blind  displayed  a  really  good  will,  and  was 
ready  to  confess,  as  well  as  to  acknowledge  the  truth. 

He  felt  no  doubt  about  the  miracle,  and  he  knew  that  there  was 
danger  in  proclaiming  it  before  the  bitter  enemies  of  Jesus  Christ, 


212         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

for  they  were  sure  to  turn  their  hostility  against  him  too.  Never- 
theless he  did  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  Jesus  a  prophet,  and  after- 
wards he  argued  that  our  Lord  must  be  a  servant  of  God  and  not 
a  sinner,  as  otherwise  He  could  not  have  performed  so  wonderful 
a  work.  "From  the  beginning  of  the  world  it  hath  not  been  heard 
that  any  man  hath  opened  the  eyes  of  one  born  blind."  Finally 
the  man  declared  openly  his  belief  in  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God; 
moreover  he  fell  down  publicly  in  the  sight  of  the  Jews  and  adored 
Him,  thus  giving  the  strongest  possible  evidence  of  his  faith.  This 
man  possessed  true  courage,  and  we  may  certainly  say  that  he  made 
a  noble  confession  of  faith,  regardless  of  public  opinion,  and  of  the 
powerful  men  whom  he  made  his  bitter  enemies  by  his  courageous 
action.  We  must  not  extol  any  human  being  too  highly.  This  man 
certainly  knew  that  he  would  become  an  outcast  from  among  his 
own  people;  he  had  to  tread  the  thorny  path  of  exile  and  taste  for  a 
time  the  bitterness  of  solitude.  Yet  even  exile  and  solitude  have 
Joys  incomprehensible  to  the  world,  which  can  never  appreciate 
them  at  their  true  value.  There  is  no  loneliness  for  one  who  has 
been  admitted  to  the  Communion  of  Saints;  hence  he  who  has  no 
friends  here  below,  will  have  many  above ;  they  are  already  stretch- 
ing out  their  hands  to  welcome  him  to  his  heavenly  home. 


FOURTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  213 

FOURTEENTH   SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST 
THE  LAW  OF  CHARITY 

"A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  you  love  one  another,  as  I  have 
loved  you,  that  you  also  love  one  another." — John  xiii,  34. 

I.  The  chief  and  most  important  thing  that  our  Saviour  asks  of  His 
disciples  is  love.  He  proclaimed  that  no  one  was  worthy  of  Him 
who  loved  anybody  or  anything  more  than  Him.  He  taught  that 
the  first  and  greatest  commandment  requires  us  to  love  God  above 
all  things,  and  the  second  bids  us  love  our  neighbor  as  ourselves. 
In  to-day's  gospel  we  are  told  that  Christ's  followers  ought  to  be 
known  by  their  love  for  one  another.  Therefore  love — love  of 
God  and  our  neighbor — is  the  greatest  thing  in  the  world;  God 
demands  it  of  us,  and  it  confers  upon  human  existence  all  the  value, 
happiness  and  beauty  that  it  possesses. 

St.  Paul  taught  precisely  the  same  doctrine;  he  spoke  of  faith, 
hope  and  charity  as  the  three  principal  virtues,  adding:  "The  great- 
est of  these  is  charity"  (i  Cor.  xiii,  13).  In  another  place  he 
writes :  "The  end  of  the  commandment  is  charity  from  a  pure 
heart  and  a  good  conscience*'  (Tim.  i,  5).  And  again:  "Love  is 
the  fulfilling  of  the  law"  (Rom.  xiii,  10).  "Charity,"  says  St.  John, 
"is  of  God,  and  everyone  that  loveth  is  born  of  God"  (i  John  iv,  7). 
"We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  to  life,  because  we 
love  the  brethren.  He  that  loveth  not,  abideth  in  death."  (i  John 
iii,  14),  Love  is  so  great,  so  all-important  because  God  is  love; 
He  is  in  His  essence  charity.  This  doctrine  concerning  charity 
raises  Christianity  far  above  all  other  religions,  all  pious  emotions, 
and  all  human  philosophy.  Yet  no  word  is  perhaps  more  frequently 
misused   and   misunderstood   than   the  word   love,  and   no   divine 


214         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

commandment  is  so  often  misinterpreted  as  that  which  bids  us  love 
God  and  our  neighbor. 

II.  Faith  and  love.  Every  Christian  ought  to  acknowledge  at 
once  that  love  is  the  most  precious  thing  in  human  life;  the  voice 
both  of  conscience  and  of  experience  tells  us  that  nothing  surpasses 
the  happiness  of  loving  and  being  loved.  A  life  abounding  in  love 
is  the  fairest  that  this  world  can  offer,  whereas  a  loveless  existence 
is  devoid  of  all  joy.  and  is  acknowledged  to  be  bad  and  miserable 
by  ever}'  one  possessed  of  common  sense  and  true  moral  feeling. 
A  man  may  be  rich,  handsome,  talented  and  famous,  but  if  he  really 
loves  no  one  and  has  no  one  to  love  him,  he  is  unspeakably  wretched. 
We  can  better  dispense  with  everything  than  with  love.  It  seems 
almost  unnecessary  to  make  this  remark,  as  it  is  so  obviously  true, 
and  yet  even  amongst  professing  Christians  there  are  some  whose 
inner  life  is  so  unhealthy,  barren  and  dreary,  that  they  fail  to 
appreciate  the  value  of  love. 

In  many  cases  their  attitude  of  mind  is  due  to  a  mistaken  view 
of  the  teaching  of  Holy  Scripture  regarding  faith.  They  separate 
faith  from  charity,  whereas  in  the  Bible  they  are  closely  united. 
It  is  true  that  "without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God"  (Hebr. 
xi,  6),  that  "man  is  justified  by  faith  without  the  works  of  the 
law"  (Rom.  iii,  28),  and  that  we  obtain  remission  of  our  sins 
through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  But  Holy  Scripture  also  tells  us  that 
charity  is  the  fruit  of  faith ;  we  must  believe  in  God  before  we  can 
love  Him,  and  to  some  extent  we  must  believe  also  in  men,  before 
we  can  love  them.  Faith  must  therefore  precede  charity,  but  it 
does  not  follow  that  faith  is  greater  than  charity ;  in  fact  no  one 
can  maintain  that  it  is  so  without  contradicting  St.  Paul's  state- 
ment: "The  greatest  of  all  is  charity."  Still  less  ought  we  to  con- 
clude that  faith  alone  gives  its  value  to  human  existence  in  the 


'FOURTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  215 

eyes  of  God  and  of  men ;  yet  many  make  the  mistake  of  asserting 
this  to  be  the  case,  and  maintain  a  life  full  of  devoted  charity,  rich 
in  good  results,  to  be  no  better  than  a  life  of  sin  and  impiety.  They 
arrive  at  thiz  conclusion  because  they  suppose  faith  alone  to  havr 
any  value  in  God's  sight.  In  this  way  they  reject  as  worthless 
what  is  really  the  greatest  thing  in  life,  and  they  believe  salvation  to 
depend  upon  faith  that  is  dead  and  without  value.  Thus  the  dis- 
tinction between  right  and  wrong,  good  and  evil  is  obliterated.  The 
faith  which  God  requires  is  living,  not  dead,  and  without  love  faith 
cannot  live,  since  living  faith  is  the  beginning  of  love.  Faith  and 
charity  are  inseparable. 

III.  But  how  can  it  be  a  duty  to  love?  How  can  God  command 
us  to  love  Him  and  our  fellow  men?  Is  it  possible  to  love  because 
it  is  our  duty,  and  because  we  are  ordered  to  do  so  ? — This  is  a  very 
important  question,  which  we  cannot  answer  unless  we  know  what 
is  meant  by  love.  People  imagine  love  to  be  merely  an  emotion,  or 
at  least  chiefly  an  emotion,  good  and  beautiful  in  itself,  and  pleasant 
to  experience.  Hence  they  conclude  very  reasonably  that  we  cannot 
be  required  as  a  duty  to  feel  an  emotion.  It  is  useless  to  order  one 
person  to  feel  ardent  affection  for  another,  and  it  is  equally  useless 
to  say:  "Thou  shalt  love  God."  We  cannot  control  our  feelings; 
they  come  of  their  own  accord,  and  if  love  is  only  or  chiefly  a  matter 
of  emotion,  the  commandment  of  love  is  most  unreasonable;  and 
there  is  no  sense  at  all  in  Christianity.  In  other  words,  failure  to 
understand  this  point  leads  men  to  give  up  all  profession  of  Christ- 
ianity, which  lays  such  stress  upon  the  importance  of  love. 

I  once  heard  a  lecture  on  charity,  and  the  lecturer  alluded  to  the 
difficulty  that  I  have  mentioned.  Every  one  must  certainly  desire 
to  have  a  satisfactory  solution  of  it,  but  the  one  proposed  by  this 
Protestant  lecturer  was  most  unsatisfactory;  it  amounted  to  this: 


2i6       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

"We  are  incapable  of  arousing  within  us  the  emotion  which  con^ 
stitutes  the  essence  of  love,  but  God  can  and  will  produce  it  in 
our  hearts,  provided  that  we  pray  earnestly  for  it."  What  consola- 
tion is  there  for  one  who  has  prayed  earnestly  without  receiving 
this  gift?  He  finds  it  impossible  to  feel  for  God  what  he  feels  for 
his  parents  and  friends,  and  though  he  has  prayed  for  the  gift  of 
sensible  affection,  it  has  not  been  bestowed.  He  is  therefore 
deficient  in  something  indispensable  to  salvation,  and  at  a  loss  how 
to  obtain  it. 

The  lecturer  was  obviously  making  a  mistake ;  God  never  refuses 
to  help  anyone  who  is  honestly  striving  to  obey  His  commandments. 
There  must  be  another  and  more  satisfactory  solution  to  the  problem, 
and  after  all  it  is  easy  enough.  The  former  conclusion  was  wrong, 
because  it  was  deduced  from  false  premises,  and  as  Christians  we 
are  bound  to  argue  thus : — Christianity  commands  us  to  love  God 
and  our  neighbor,  consequently  love  is  a  duty,  and  the  feeling  of 
affection  cannot  be  the  only,  or  even  the  chief  thing  in  love.  True 
love  is  never  perhaps  totally  devoid  of  all  emotion,  and  we  can  see 
from  the  lives  of  the  saints  that  they  felt  love;  but  at  the  same 
time  what  is  really  important  is  the  will,  since  nothing  can  be 
imposed  upon  us  as  a  duty  which  is  not  dependent  upon  our  will. 
The  will  is  the  strongest  of  our  spiritual  powers,  and  determines 
our  responsibility  for  our  actions.  A  love  consisting  of  emotions 
is  not  a  moral  force;  it  does  not  protect  us  against  selfishness  and 
is  frequently  quite  untrustworthy.  We  speak  of  people  as  being  in 
love,  and  very  often  their  fancy  for  one  another  passes  away,  just 
because  it  is  a  feeling,  and  nothing  else.  It  has  nothing  to  do  with 
the  will,  and  possesses  no  moral  value.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
some  kinds  of  friendship.  Some  people  are  very  enthusiastic  in 
their  devotion  to  their  friends  or  in  their  zeal  for  some  occupation. 


FOURTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  217 

For  a  time  they  are  ready  to  do  and  sacrifice  anything,  but  after  a 
while  it  appears  that  much  reliance  cannot  be  placed  on  them.  It 
is  impossible  to  depend  upon  what  is  a  mere  matter  of  sentiment; 
we  need  a  mature  and  resolute  will. 

True  love  is  a  moral  force,  and  it  is  trustworthy.  It  would  be 
.well  if  this  fact  were  taken  to  heart  by  all  who  boast  of  the  ardor 
of  their  affections,  simply  because  their  feelings  are  quickly  aroused. 
They  might  learn  a  wholesome  lesson  from  reflecting  upon  what  will 
aflFord  consolation  to  many  worthy  Christians  who  are  dismayed  and 
troubled  by  the  law  of  charity.  These  latter  have  to  confess  that 
they  do  not  experience  the  feeling  which  they  imagine  to  be  neces- 
sary, if  they  are  to  obey  the  law;  they  know  however  that  they 
possess  the  will  to  fulfill  the  two-fold  command  to  love  God  and 
their  neighbor.  Let  them  take  comfort,  for  this  will  is  the  love 
required  of  them.  Love  consists  in  discharging  the  duty  of  obedi- 
ence to  God's  will  and  commandment ;  for,  as  our  Lord  says :  "He 
that  hath  my  commandments  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth 
me"  (John  xiv,  21).  This  being  so,  we  can  understand  why  it  is  a 
duty  imposed  upon  us  to  love  God;  and  we  can  understand  also 
that  no  one,  who  honestly  desires  to  fulfill  this  duty,  need  despair, 
or  think  that  it  is  beyond  his  power  to  do  so. 


2i8         CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

FIFTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
THE  VALUE  OF  EARTHLY  POSSESSIONS 

"Lay  not  up  to  yourselves  treasures  on  earth,  where  the  rust  and  moth  con- 
sume, and  where  thieves  break  through  and  steal." — Matt,  vi,  19. 

To-day's  gospel  is  part  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount;  in  which, 
after  instructing  His  disciples  regarding  alms-giving,  prayer  and 
fasting,  our  Lord  goes  on  to  speak  of  the  value  of  earthly  pos- 
sessions. 

I.  His  argument  is  this : — Do  not  strive  to  heap  up  earthly  pos- 
sessions, but  make  it  your  aim  to  acquire  heavenly  riches ;  otherwise 
your  heart  will  cling  to  what  is  temporal,  instead  of  seeking  what 
is  eternal,  and  you  will  suffer  greatly  in  consequence.  You  will 
render  yourself  thoroughly  miserable,  and  be  like  a  blind  man 
groping  in  darkness.  Our  Saviour  thus  teaches  us  in  a  few  words 
how  we  ought  to  regard  earthly  riches.  There  are  two  totally 
different  ways  in  which  men  look  upon  them. 

II.  Some  people  consider  earthly  possessions  to  be  the  one  thing 
needful,  and  of  the  utmost  importance.  Christians  ought  to  recog- 
nize the  fact  that  the  world  at  the  present  day  takes  this  view. 
Worldliness  is  a  great  force,  and  it  assumes  many  various  forms. 
The  age  in  which  we  live,  more  perhaps  than  any  other  period,  is 
characterized  by  a  worldly  spirit,  with  which  everything  is  infected, 
— all  our  science,  art,  literature,  politics  and  amusements, — nothing 
is  free  from  worldliness.  It  is  as  a  rule  by  no  means  coarse  or 
repulsive ;  it  is  in  fact  often  very  attractive.  Men  take  great  pains 
to  reconcile  faith  and  Christianity  with  this  spirit,  and  try  to  show 
that  the  religion  of  Christ  is  not  incompatible  with  ambition,  arro- 


FIFTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  219 

gance,  pride  and  sensuality.  They  wish  to  serve  two  masters,  and 
fail.  Would  that  they  were  capable  of  seeing  the  impossibility  of 
what  they  attempt,  before  it  is  too  late,  and  the  vanity  of  all  that 
the  world  offers  becomes  manifest.  Sooner  or  later  their  eyes 
will  be  opened,  and  what  will  be  their  plight  when  everything  on 
which  they  set  so  much  store  decays  and  perishes?  It  is  hard 
enough  for  a  Christian  to  experience  the  ruin  of  his  earthly  happi- 
ness for  the  sake  of  truth  and  conscience,  and  yet  to  remain  stead- 
fast; but  he  at  least  knows  that  he  still  possesses  something  infin- 
itely better,  whereas,  when  a  worldling  has  to  endure  a  terrible  loss, 
he  is  plunged  into  despair,  since  he  neither  knows  of  nor  possesses 
anything  higher  than  what  he  has  lost.  If  he  does  not  actually 
despair,  he  affects  a  stony  resignation  or  a  dull  indifference — in 
any  case  a  spirit  of  worldliness  leads  to  misery. 

Since  external  possessions  alone  have  any  value  in  the  eyes  of 
the  world,  the  Church  is  frequently  despised.  The  religion  of  a 
nation  is  estimated  almost  exclusively  according  to  its  intellectual 
status,  its  wealth,  power,  outward  display  and  attractiveness,  that 
is  to  say,  according  to  a  worldly  standard.  We  can  understand  this 
attitude  of  mind  in  one  who  considers  earthly  prosperity,  fleeting 
enjoyments  and  empty  display  to  be  things  of  priceless  value;  but 
it  is  not  easy  to  account  for  its  existence  among  those  who  call 
themselves  Christians,  and  ought  to  know  that  God  judges  by 
another  standard.  He  pronounces  blessed  those  who  are  poor  in 
spirit,  those  who  mourn,  the  meek,  those  who  hunger  and  thirst  after 
justice,  and  those  who  are  despised  and  calumniated  by  men  for 
Christ's  sake.  It  seems  hardly  possible  so  thoroughly  to  misunder- 
stand the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as  to  suppose  that  He  intended 
His  Church  to  be  judged  and  appreciated  according  to  her  position 
and  power  in  the  world,  and  the  prosperity  of  her  members. 


220        CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

I  once  listened  to  a  sermon  preached  at  the  funeral  of  a  very 
rich  man.  The  speaker  expressed  the  hope  that  God  would  bestow 
on  the  dead  man  an  abundant  portion  of  heavenly  grace,  since  He 
had  given  him  abundance  of  riches  in  this  world ;  and  this  was  also 
a  grace.  This  line  of  thought  made  me  wonder  whether  the  preach- 
er disapproved  of  our  Lord's  account  of  Dives  and  Lazarus. 

Having  thus  briefly  considered  the  value  set  by  the  world  on 
earthly  possessions,  let  us  go  on  and  study  the  opposite  extreme. 

in.  Some  people  speak  as  if  a  Christian  were  bound  to  repudiate 
and  condemn  all  earthly  beauty,  joys  and  pleasures  as  being  nothing 
but  vanity,  and  likely  to  withdraw  his  heart  from  God.  They  re- 
quire him  to  renounce  as  far  as  possible  all  that  is  earthly,  temporal 
and  human,  to  be  perfectly  detached  from  all  the  delights  of  earth, 
and  to  mourn  continually  over  the  misery  of  this  life.  Such  people 
refuse  to  see  the  beauty  of  this  fair  world,  that  God  has  decked 
with  everything  that  can  charm  us  and  make  us  happy.  They 
behave  like  a  man  who,  being  melancholy  mad,  was  walking  in  his 
garden  one  lovely  morning  in  May.  All  around  were  exquisite 
flowers  and  singing  birds,  but  he  held  his  cloak  before  his  eyes,  lest 
he  should  see  the  blossoms,  and  stopped  his  ears,  lest  he  should  hear 
the  birds,  for  he  feared  distraction  in  his  melancholy  mood.  Such 
people  forget  that  God  Himself  made  the  world  so  fair,  and  that 
therefore  nothing  earthly  is  evil  in  itself.  Christianity  may  and 
does  ask  us  to  deny  ourselves,  but  self-denial  alone  cannot  make  us 
Christians,  in  fact  it  is  actually  un-Christian  when  separated  from 
the  other  obligations  imposed  upon  us  by  Christianity.  True  Chris- 
tianity ought  to  enter  into  the  whole  life  of  man,  and  inspire  it 
with  its  sanctifying  grace.  Therefore  this  cannot  be  the  right  way 
of  valuing  earthly  things. 

IV.     "Lay  not  up  to  yourselves  treasures  on  earth."     In  these 


FIFTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  221 

words  our  Lord  condemns  worldliness,  but  not  because  the  things 
of  this  world  are  in  themselves  bad  and  sinful.  He  does  not  con- 
demn the  possession  of  riches,  if  God  pleases  to  bestow  them  on 
any  one;  but  to  make  the  acquisition  of  wealth,  no  matter  by  what 
means,  the  one  great  aim  of  life,  is  certainly  incompatible  with  our 
Lord's  words.  He  condemns  the  spirit  of  worldliness  for  two 
reasons.  First,  because  the  things  of  the  world,  being  poor  and 
transitory,  deceive  a  man  who  sets  his  heart  upon  them ;  and  secondly 
because  they  corrupt  him.  The  condemnation  does  not  apply  to 
those  who  possess  earthly  riches  "as  though  they  possessed  not," 
tliat  is  to  say,  who  do  not  cling  to  their  wealth  as  if  their  whole 
happiness  depended  upon  it.  But  it  is  not  easy  to  possess  riches 
thus,  and  not  to  allow  them  to  injure  the  soul,  and  therefore  our 
Lord  speaks  emphatically.  Holy  Scripture  contains  many  refer- 
ences to  the  need  of  self-denial,  but  this  does  not  mean  the  distorted 
kind  of  renunciation  that  refuses  to  see  any  beauty  or  goodness  in 
God's  creatures.  Self-denial  that  stops  short  of  renunciation  of 
this  kind  has  no  value  at  all,  but  we  are  advised  to  refrain  from 
acquiring  temporal  possessions,  if  we  practise  this  self-denial  for 
God's  sake,  with  the  intention  of  promoting  His  honor  and  glory 
and  the  welfare  of  His  kingdom,  and  in  order  to  secure  our  own 
salvation.  From  time  to  time  our  divine  Lord  counselled  great  acts 
of  self-denial.  He  advised  the  rich  young  man  to  sell  all  that  he 
had  and  give  the  proceeds  to  the  poor;  to  abandon  family  life,  to 
renounce  his  own  will,  and  to  become  His  disciple,  and  do  exclus- 
ively His  will.  The  apostles  practised  self-denial  of  this  kind ;  they 
forsook  all  their  worldly  goods  in  order  to  do  Christ's  work  on 
earth,  and  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  Him.  Many  others  have  fol- 
lowed their  example,  and  countless  men  and  women  in  every  age 
have  given  up  all   for  Christ's   sake.     They  are  the  heroes  and 


222       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

heroines  of  the  Church,  but  we  are  not  all  called  to  make  such 
heroic  sacrifices. 

V.  "Lay  up  to  yourselves  treasures  in  heaven."  Our  Lord  teaches 
us  in  these  words  to  labor  chiefly  for  what  is  eternal,  and  to  seek 
happiness  in  the  hope  of  future  joys.  He  shows  us  that  in  this  way 
we  can  be  happy  here  on  earth,  just  as  the  whole  body  is  full  of 
light,  provided  that  the  eyesight  be  good.  The  world  deems  it  folly 
to  labor  for  heaven  and  eternity,  since  to  a  worldly  mind  there  is  no 
certainty  about  either,  but  it  is  otherwise  with  Christians.  They 
are  happy,  unspeakably  happy,  even  here  below.  They  may  suffer 
great  tribulation,  and  experience  the  loss  of  things  apparently  in- 
dispensable ;  sometimes  they  endure  deep  inward  pain  and  sorrow. 
Occasionally  a  Christian  may  feel  himself  utterly  lonely  and  aban- 
doned ;  his  faith  and  confidence  seem  to  waver,  because  he  is  denied 
the  happiness  that  God  has  promised  to  those  who  love  Him.  But 
if  we  examine  the  matter  more  closely,  we  shall  probably  find  that 
his  depression  and  disappointment  are  connected  with  a  trace  of 
worldliness  still  lingering  in  his  heart,  and  he  still  hankers  after  the 
good  things  of  this  world.  If  only  we  surveyed  these  things  dis- 
passionately, and  saw  how  worthless  they  are  in  themselves,  we 
should  esteem  them  at  their  true  value,  and  rise  above  all  our 
troubles. 


SIXTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  223 

SIXTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
TWO  MASTERS 

"No  man  can  serve  two  masters,  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one  and  love 
the  other,  or  he  will  sustain  the  one  and  despise  the  other.  You  cannot  serve 
God  and  Mammon." — Matt,  vi,  24. 

Very  different  opinions  may  be  formed  regarding  the  condition 
of  any  body  of  people,  according  to  the  point  of  view  taken  by  the 
observer.  One  person  may  see  nothing  but  what  is  good,  and  will 
say  that  the  attendance  at  Mass  is  excellent,  great  zeal  is  displayed 
in  frequenting  the  Sacraments,  religious  books  and  newspapers  are 
read  in  most  houses,  and  considerable  interest  shown  in  missions 
and  charitable  works, — in  short  the  condition  of  that  congregation 
leaves  little  to  be  desired.  Another  person  on  the  contrary  sees 
only  the  dark  side,  and  notices  that  the  members  of  the  congregation 
in  question  are  avaricious,  worldly,  vain,  self-indulgent,  immoral 
and  dishonest;  consequently  their  condition  is  deplorable.  Which 
critic  is  right?  It  is  possible  that  there  is  some  truth  in  the  state- 
ment of  each;  in  this  world  good  and  evil,  light  and  darkness,  are 
inseparable  and  the  good  corn  and  the  cockle  grow  together  in  the 
Church  as  they  do  elsewhere. 

But  what  shall  we  say  when  we  see  them  inextricably  entangled 
in  the  life  of  one  individual;  when  in  one  and  the  same  heart  he 
worship  both  God  and  the  devil,  and  sways  to  and  fro,  wavering 
between  good  and  evil?  Many  who  try  to  serve  two  masters, 
deceive  themselves;  they  are  attempting  to  do  what  Christ  has 
pronounced  impossible. 

I.  It  would  not  be  impossible  to  serve  two  masters  if  they  were 
of  the  same  mind,  and  desired,  ordered  and  forbade  the  same  things. 


224       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

or  if  they  claimed  our  service  alternately.  But  in  this  case  we 
should  really  have  one  master  only,  since  the  two  would  agree  and 
have  a  common  will.  A  child  once  said  to  me :  "I  can't  understand 
about  the  two  masters.  I  know  a  boy  who  works  in  the  morning 
for  M.  A.  and  in  the  afternoon  for  M.  B.  Is  he  doing  wrong?" 
Of  course  not.  The  two  masters  of  whom  our  Lord  speaks  are 
rulers  diametrically  opposed  in  their  ideas  and  wishes,  so  that  one 
orders  what  the  other  forbids.  It  is  plain  that  no  one  can  serve  two 
masters  of  this  kind,  and  that  he  will  either  love  the  one  and  hate 
the  other,  or  sustain  the  one  and  despise  the  other.  To  please  both 
is  an  impossibility,  however  much  he  may  try  to  do  it. 

II.  Who  are  the  two  masters? — One  is  God,  and  the  other  is 
Mammon,  by  which  our  Lord  meant  the  world.  God  and  the  world 
make  claims  upon  us  that  are  quite  irreconcilable.  There  is  one 
point,  however,  on  which  their  requirements  are  identical,  viz.,  each 
demands  our  whole  and  undivided  allegiance ;  but  whereas  God 
desires  us  to  advance  continually  on  the  way  of  sanctification,  the 
world  wishes  to  lead  us  astray  and  to  plunge  us  into  ruin.  God 
wants  to  lift  us  up  to  spiritual  freedom,  the  world  seeks  to  drag 
us  down  and  make  us  slaves  of  the  flesh  with  its  lusts  and  cravings. 
God  shows  us  the  way  to  peace  and  charity,  the  world  fills  us  with 
selfishness  and  discontent.  In  short,  God  aims  at  our  salvation,  and 
the  world  at  our  destruction. 

Holy  Scripture  is  very  explicit  on  this  point.  It  bids  us  "Love 
not  the  world,  nor  the  things  which  are  in  the  world.  If  any  man 
love  the  world,  the  charity  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him"  (John  ii, 
15) — "Whosoever  will  be  a  friend  of  this  world,  becometh  an  enemy 
of  God"  (James  iv,  4)  ; — "What  participation  hath  justice  with 
injustice?  or  what  fellowship  hath  light  with  darkness?  And  what 
concord  hath  Christ  with  Belial?"  (2  Cor.  vi,  14,  15). 


SIXTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  225 

III.  If  men  would  only  make  up  their  minds  to  serve  one  master, 
we  should  know  how  they  stood.  But,  as  it  is,  they  do  their  best 
to  serve  both.  On  Sunday  morning  there  is  a  little  piety,  and  the 
rest  of  the  week  is  given  up  to  worldliness.  On  certain  occasions 
there  is  some  display  of  honesty,  but  there  is  a  great  deal  of  dis- 
honesty in  everyday  life.  There  is  some  amount  of  confidence  in 
God,  and  exaggerated  anxiety  about  food  and  clothing.  There  is 
sometimes  straightforwardness  towards  God  in  an  hour  of  quiet 
reflection,  and  treachery  towards  mankind.  There  is  some  degree 
of  love  of  God,  coupled  with  excessive  fear  of  the  world's  opinion. 
All  these  things  are  symptoms  of  lukewarmness ;  and  it  is  written: 
"Because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  begin 
to  vomit  thee  out  of  my  mouth."  (Apoc.  iii,  16).  A  man  who  is 
half-hearted  and  tepid  accomplishes  nothing,  and  that  is  why  our 
Lord  tells  us  that  we  must  either  love  or  hate  our  master,  either 
sustain  or  despise  him.  We  shall  do  well  to  examine  ourselves  by 
this  rule. 

IV.  This  harsh  utterance  seems  likely  to  alarm  us,  and  many 
worthy  souls  have  undoubtedly  trembled  when  they  applied  it  to 
themselves.  Is  our  love  of  God  really  so  perfect  that  we  feel 
nothing  but  hatred  and  contempt  for  the  world  and  all  that  it  can 
offer?  If  we  can  reply  in  the  affirmative,  we  are  indeed  children 
of  God  and  heirs  of  heaven;  but  if  we  cannot,  we  must  belong  to 
the, class  of  the  lukewarm,  whom  our  Lord  "will  vomit  out  of 
His  mouth." 

Conscience  tells  us  that  our  love  of  God  is  very  imperfect,  and 
so  is  our  hatred  of  the  world.  There  are  many  things  in  the  world 
that  we  love,  in  spite  of  their  being  wrong  and  sinful.  All  the 
saints  have  complained  of  the  strength  of  their  affection  for  worldly 
things,  and  in  their  ears  our  Lord's  words  about  serving  two  masters 


226       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

sounds  as  a  condemnation.  It  would  indeed  be  such,  were  the 
highest  degree  of  love  of  God  and  of  hatred  for  the  world  required 
of  us,  under  pain  of  eternal  punishment;  but  this  is  not  the  case. 
God  asks  of  each  man  that  he  should  love  Him  with  all  his  soul, 
with  all  his  heart  and  with  all  his  strength,  and  this  commandment 
is  obeyed  by  one  who  considers  it  his  chief  business  in  life  to  obey 
and  serve  God,  although  his  obedience  and  service  are  imperfect. 
A  man  who  struggles  incessantly  against  the  spirit  of  worldliness  in 
himself  and  others,  shows  his  hatred  of  it,  although  his  resistance 
to  it  is  not  always  successful.  If  we  examine  ourselves  honestly, 
we  shall  soon  find  out  whether  God  or  the  world  is  the  moving 
principle  within  us.  Our  love  of  God  is  not  to  be  measured  by  our 
feelings,  for  they  are  very  untrustworthy ;  the  great  point  is  whether 
we  have  the  will  to  obey  and  serve  Him;  and  it  is  this  good  will 
that  He  demands  of  us. 

When  we  speak  of  hating  the  world,  we  do  not  mean  the  world 
as  created  by  God;  we  read  in  Holy  Scripture  that  God  Himself 
loves  it  (John  iii,  i6),  and  we  too  ought  to  love  and  delight  in  it 
as  a  masterpiece  of  creation.  The  world  that  we  should  hate  is 
wicked  and  estranged  from  God ;  it  is  the  world  of  which  St.  John 
says  (i  John  ii,  i6)  that  it  consists  of  the  concupiscence  of  the 
flesh,  and  the  concupiscence  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life ;  and 
love  of  it  is  incompatible  with  love  of  God.  If  we  are  determined 
to  serve  God,  we  must  hate  the  world;  and  with  the  aid  of  divine 
grace  we  can  acquire  both  this  love  and  this  hatred,  if  only  we  are 
in  earnest. 

V.  It  is  to  His  zealous  servants  that  our  Lord  says :  "Be  not 
troubled ;  anxiety  is  sinful."  Some  people,  on  hearing  these  words, 
feel  inclined  to  exclaim  that  they  contain  another  condemnation,  that 
it  is  hard  for  men  who  work  hard  to  obtain  the  necessaries  of  life 


SIXTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  227 

to  be  told  that  they  ought  to  be  as  careless  as  birds,  and  rely  only 
upon  God.  Probably  most  of  us  have  been  guilty  of  over-anxiety. 
Our  Lord  bids  us  look  at  the  lilies  of  the  field  in  their  spotless 
beauty,  exceeding  the  splendor  of  Solomon;  let  us  look  at  them 
and  remember  that,  in  spite  of  all  our  v^retched  sins,  Christ  has 
made  it  possible  for  us  to  attain  to  similar  purity,  since  His  justice 
may  become  our  own.  It  is  acquired  by  everyone  who  with  true 
contrition  seeks  remission  of  sins  in  the  holy  Sacrament  of  Penance, 
and  it  is  increased  whenever  in  Holy  Communion  we  participate  in 
our  Lord's  most  holy,  just  and  pure  human  nature.  When  we  have 
attained  in  some  measure  to  this  purity  of  heart,  of  which  the  lilies 
are  a  type,  we  shall  be  ready,  like  the  birds  of  the  air,  to  raise  our 
voices  in  praise  of  God. 


22S       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

SEVENTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 

THE  STRENGTH  AND  THE  WEAKNESS  OF  DEATH 

"When  Mary  therefore  was  come  where  Jesus  was,  seeing  Him,  she  fell 
down  at  His  feet,  and  saith  to  Him:  'Lord,  if  Thou  hadst  been  here,  my 
brother  had  not  died.' " — John  xi,  32. 

I,  The  Strength  of  Death.  "Behold,  Thou  hast  made  my  days  mea- 
surable, and  my  substance  is  as  nothing  before  Thee"  (Ps.  xxxviii, 
6).  The  span  of  our  earthly  life  is  very  short.  Think  of  all  the 
old  people  whom  you  knew  in  your  childhood;  they  have  passed 
away,  and  now  perhaps  you  are  growing  old  yourselves,  and  the 
time  is  not  far  distant  when  you  too  will  pass  away.  Look  back 
ten  years,  and  recall  where  you  were  living  and  what  you  were  doing 
then.  It  does  not  seem  long,  and  as  you  grow  older,  the  years  fly 
more  and  more  quickly.  Yet  in  another  ten  or  twenty  years  perhaps, 
old  age  will  overtake  you ;  our  time  is  indeed  short,  and  none  realize 
its  shortness  so  fully  as  do  the  old,  whose  course  is  almost  run. 
"The  days  of  our  years  are  threescore  and  ten,  but  if  in  the  strong 
they  be  fourscore  years,  what  is  more  of  them  is  labor  and  sorrow" 
(Ps.  Ixxxix,  10). 

What  is  the  force  that  so  inexorably  cuts  short  the  life  that  God 
gave? — It  is  the  power  of  death.  Our  life  on  earth  is  not  only 
brief,  but  full  of  suffering.  Many  an  old  man  complains:  "What 
profit  shall  a  man  have  of  all  his  labor  and  vexation  of  spirit,  with 
which  he  hath  been  tormented  under  the  sun?  All  his  days  are 
full  of  sorrows  and  miseries,  even  in  the  night  he  doth  not  rest 
in  mind"  (Eccles.  ii,  22,  23).  "I  have  numbered  to  myself  weari- 
some nights;  if  I  lie  down  to  sleep,  I  shall  say:  'When  shall  I 
arise  ?'  and  again  I  shall  look  for  the  evening,  and  shall  be  filled  with 


SEVENTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  229 

sorrows  even  till  darkness.  .  .  .  My  days  .  .  .  are  consumed  without 
any  hope  ...  If  I  say:  'My  bed  shall  comfort  me,  and  I  shall  be 
relieved,  speaking  with  myself  on  my  couch,  Thou  wilt  frighten  me 
with  dreams  and  terrify  me  with  visions'"  (Job.  vii). 

Everywhere  and  always  we  have  to  suffer ;  we  grieve  over  dis- 
appointments, over  loss  of  property,  the  death  of  those  dear  to  us, 
the  disloyalty  of  friends  and  the  insults  that  we  have  to  endure; 
pain  and  sorrow  accompany  us  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  anxiety 
turns  our  hair  white  and  undermines  our  strength;  "Of  sadness 
Cometh  death,  and  it  overwhelmeth  the  strength,  and  sorrow  of 
heart  boweth  down  the  neck"  (Ecclus.  xxxviii,  19).  Death  is  a 
mighty  foe,  and  pain  is  the  weapon  with  which  he  is  armed.  Our 
Saviour's  heart  broke  with  sorrow,  as  He  said  Himself:  "My  soul 
is  sorrowful  even  unto  death,"  and  the  sorrow  that  killed  Him  was 
caused  by  our  sins,  so  that  we  see  how  death  exercises  his  power 
chiefly  by  inflicting  pain  during  life. 

After  the  death  of  Lazarus,  his  sister  said :  "Lord,  if  Thou  hadst 
been  here,  my  brother  had  not  died" ;  others  however  asked :  "Could 
not  He  that  opened  the  eyes  of  the  man  born  blind,  have  caused 
that  this  man  should  not  die?"  ]\Iany  in  every  age  have  wondered 
whether  He  who  comforted  the  afflicted,  healed  the  sick  and  raised 
the  dead  to  life,  could  not  have  taken  away  pain,  sickness  and  death 
altogether.  No;  He  could  not;  He  had  indeed  all  power,  but  God 
had  once  for  all  ordained  that  death  should  be  the  wages  of  sin. 
As  long  as  sin  exists,  death  must  continue  to  exercise  his  force, 
with  all  the  pain  and  sorrow  inseparable  from  him. 

It  is  well  for  us  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  justice.  It  is  with  the 
hope  of  future  glory  that  we  console  ourselves  for  the  miseries  of 
life,  but  we  would  fain  discover,  if  it  were  possible,  a  ray  of  light 
now  in  the  midst  of  our  present  darkness.     Perhaps  we  think  too 


230      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

little  of  suffering  as  a  wholesome  and  just  punishment  for  our  sins ; 
it  is  good  for  us  to  be  chastised  with  pain,  sickness  and  death.  "All 
chastisement  for  the  present  indeed  seemeth  not  to  bring  with  it 
joy,  but  sorrow;  but  afterwards  it  will  yield  to  them  that  are 
exercised  by  it,  the  most  peaceable  fruit  of  justice"  (Heb.  xii,  ii). 
If  we  accept  suffering  in  a  Christian  spirit,  we  shall  gather  the 
glorious  fruits  that  it  produces. 

II.  The  Weakness  of  Death.  Some  people  mourn  without  hope 
over  their  dead.  The  ancient  Greeks  represented  death  symbolically 
as  a  genius  holding  an  inverted  and  extinguished  torch,  typifying  the 
extinction  and  end  of  life.  This  is  not  the  Christian  idea  of  death, 
and  it  ought  not  be  engraved  on  the  tomb  of  one  who  believes  in 
Christ,  since  we  know  that  life  is  not  extinguished  like  a  light,  and 
we  do  not  mourn  like  those  who  have  no  hope.  The  power  of  death 
is  great,  but  that  of  Christ  is  far  greater,  and  He  will  eventually 
triumph  over  death.  He  raised  the  widow's  son  at  Nairn,  the 
daughter  of  Jairus,  and  His  friend  Lazarus  from  the  dead,  but  He 
did  not  deliver  sinful  men  from  the  penalty  of  death.  He  wished 
to  display  His  power  to  do  what  will  finally  take  place,  when  the 
sting  of  death  is  broken,  and  death  itself  is  swallowed  up  in  victory ; 
for  then  the  dead  will  be  raised  again  to  life. 

Is  your  hope  in  the  future  resurrection  so  strong  that  nothing  can 
overthrow  it?  If  so,  you  will  behold  God's  glory  even  now.  This 
is  the  experience  of  all  who  stand  firm  in  the  faith;  for  though 
Christ's  faithful  servants  feel  the  power  of  death  in  their  mortal 
bodies,  which  perish  and  decay,  their  inner  man  is  renewed  day  by 
day  through  the  victory  of  the  spirit  over  the  flesh ;  and  they  know 
that  there  is  nothing  to  fear  for  the  future,  since  "Blessed  are  the 
dead  that  die  in  the  Lord"  (Apoc.  xiv,  13). 


EIGHTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  231 

EIGHTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
SELF-EXALTATION  AND  SELF-ABASEMENT 

"Every  one  that  exalteth  himself  shall  be  humbled,  and  he  that  humbleth 
himself   shall   be  exalted." — Luke   xiv,  11. 

I.  Self -exaltation — Pride  and  arrogance  are  forms  of  self-exalta- 
tion. We  have  a  vivid  picture  of  it  in  the  gospel,  where  the  guests 
are  eager  to  secure  the  most  honorable  places  at  table.  An  arrogant 
person  finds  it  difficult  to  secure  a  suitable  place  at  table,  in  society 
or  in  men's  esteem,  yet,  after  all,  it  is  not  so  much  the  place  that 
matters,  as  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  occupied.  A  man,  entitled  to 
a  prominent  position,  may  occupy  it,  and  still  be  humble;  he  has 
not  chosen  it  for  himself,  but  accepts  it  simply  as  his  due.  On  the 
other  hand  sometimes  the  guests  can  hardly  be  induced  to  sit  down 
at  all,  because  each  wishes  to  have  the  lowest  seat ;  but  is  this  desire 
an  infallible  sign  of  humility?  It  happens  not  infrequently  that  the 
arrogant  man  occupies  the  lowest,  and  the  humble  man  the  highest 
place. 

Arrogance  reveals  itself  in  many  different  ways.  The  lowest  is 
that  described  by  the  Apostle  in  the  words :  "Their  glory  is  their 
shame."  There  are  actually  people  who  boast  of  their  skill  in  cheat- 
ing and  defrauding  others,  and  who  glory  in  wickedness  of  every 
kind.  This  peculiarity  characterizes  the  age  in  which  we  live,  and 
recurs  whenever  religion  is  at  a  low  ebb.  Others  glory  in  their 
indifference,  and  fancy  it  to  be  a  mark  of  their  superiority  if,  in 
consequence  of  self-indulgence  and  excess,  they  have  arrived  at  a 
real  or  assumed  state  of  insensibility  and  indifference  to  everything. 
They  wish  to  show  that  they  have  tasted  everything  and  no  longer 
relish  anything,  in  fact  that  all  is  distasteful  and  repulsive  to  them. 


232       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

We  meet  these  people  everjrwhere,  in  hotels  and  restaurants ;  young 
men,  old  before  their  time,  with  dull  eyes  and  sunken  cheeks ;  at 
the  age  when  they  ought  to  be  full  of  energy;  they  care  for  nothing, 
because  they  have  lost  all  power  to  use  their  wills — and  they  are 
proud  of  this  fact! 

Others  boast  of  their  riches, — not  of  the  honest  labor  with  which 
they  have  acquired  them,  but  simply  of  possessing  them,  and  nothing 
could  be  more  foolish,  since  ownership  is  quite  unconnected  with 
personal  worth.  Good  looks  and  fashionable  clothes  are  of  the 
utmost  importance  in  the  sight  of  many,  who  would  do  better  to 
reflect  that  these  things  will  soon  pass  away,  but  the  adornments 
of  the  soul  are  imperishable.  Others  think  much  of  their  intellectual 
gifts,  and  are  proud  of  being  good  orators,  politicians,  scholars  or 
artists.  Whence  did  they  derive  their  skill,  knowledge  and  talents? 
From  themselves?  No,  from  God.  Therefore  the  honor  is  due 
to  Him;  all  our  little  learning  vanishes  when  we  die,  and  is  for- 
gotten. The  greatest  statesman,  with  all  his  diplomacy,  cannot 
frustrate  the  last  enemy — death.  The  orator  who  is  more  conscious 
of  his  eloquence  than  of  his  shortcomings,  is  a  vain  fool;  soon  he 
will  be  silent  in  death. 

Unbelief  is  the  outcome  of  arrogance.  The  word  of  God  seems 
insignificant,  and  the  Sacraments  appear  trivial  to  one  who  thinks 
only  of  their  outward  form.  Christ,  as  Son  of  Man,  is  not  an 
imposing  figure,  and  the  Kingdom  of  God,  as  it  exists  on  earth,  is 
of  no  particular  importance.  But  our  salvation  depends  upon  our 
being  poor  in  spirit,  and  this  doctrine  is  most  offensive  to  the  arro- 
gant, and  consequently  those  who  are  great  in  their  own  sight  are 
prone  to  unbelief.  This  is  why  our  Saviour  said:  "How  can  you 
believe,  who  receive  glory  one  from  another,  and  the  glory  which 
is  from  God  alone,  you  do  not  seek?"    (John  v,  44).     He  that 


EIGHTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  233 

exalteth  himself  shall  be  humbled — self -exaltation  invariably  brings 
upon  itself,  even  in  this  world,  a  punishment,  and  the  arrogant  are 
always  discontented,  always  in  search  of  fresh  honors  and  greater 
luxury.  Under  a  brilliant  exterior  profound  unhappiness  often  lies 
hidden,  and  this  is  frequently  the  case  with  one  who  seeks  honor 
among  men.  He  is  apt  to  suffer  acutely  when  any  real  or  imaginary 
insult  is  offered  him,  and  frequently  we  see  that  a  man,  who  exalts 
himself,  is  brought  low  even  in  this  world,  though  his  final  humilia- 
tion is  reserved  for  the  world  to  come. 

II.  Self-abasement — Arrogance,  as  we  have  seen,  consists  in 
thinking  much  of  oneself;  humility  consists  in  self-abasement.  A 
humble  man  has  not  a  very  good  opinion  of  himself,  so  he  dwells 
in  the  valleys  rather  than  on  the  heights,  where  he  feels  insecure. 
"Pride  goes  before  a  fall" — he  does  not  forget  this  warning. 

Humility  is  pre-eminently  a  Christian  virtue,  for  it  was  unknown 
to  the  pagans  of  old,  who  had  not  even  a  word  with  which  to 
designate  it.  The  Apostles  were  obliged  to  coin  a  new  word,  and 
this  fact  alone  proves  that  humility  is  unfamiliar  to  man  in  his 
natural  state.  A  new  form  of  paganism  is  growing  up  at  the  present 
day,  and  pride  is  regarded  as  a  virtue  by  the  writers  of  this  school. 
The  hero  or  heroine  of  many  modern  novels  is  a  vain,  worthless 
creature,  decked  out  with  spurious  splendor.  Our  young  people 
read  these  unwholesome  books,  and  their  ideas  are  grossly  distorted 
by  them. 

How  can  we  become  humble  ?  The  question  would  be  superfluous 
if  only  we  recognized  what  trivial  beings  we  are.  We  are  merely 
creatures,  part  of  God's  creation.  Sometimes  we  feel  our  insignific- 
ance, as  when  we  gaze  at  the  vast  expanse  of  ocean,  or  at  the  peaks 
and  glaciers  of  the  Alps,  or  at  the  countless  stars  in  the  firmament. 
Sometimes  we  perceive  our  own  unimportance,  when  we  consider 


234      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

our  life  with  all  its  petty  interests  and  cares,  and  then  reflect  that 
we  are  but  grains  of  dust,  whereas  God  is  infinite,  eternal  and 
almighty. 

Moreover,  we  are  worthless  because  we  are  sinners ;  we  shudder 
when  we  hear  of  terrible  convulsions  in  the  world  of  nature,  but 
far  worse  is  sin,  rebellion  against  God  in  the  spiritual  world.  We 
are  the  rebels,  the  sinners ; — does  it  not  behoove  us  to  be  humble  ? 

There  is,  however,  another  thought  that  should  humble  us  yet  more, 
and  that  is  the  thought  of  God's  love  towards  us,  His  rebellious 
children,  God  so  loved  the  world,  the  rebellious  world,  that  He 
sent  His  Son  to  save  us  in  spite  of  all  our  sins.  The  remembrance 
of  this  fact  should  humble  us  to  the  dust. 

But  after  humiliation  comes  exaltation,  for  God  gives  grace  to 
the  humble.  Even  here  below  He  exalts  those  who  believe  in  His 
Son,  and  makes  them  His  children  by  adoption  in  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven,  bestowing  peace  and  hope  upon  their  restless  and  despon- 
dent hearts.  He  will  exalt  them  yet  more  above,  for  He  will  say 
to  them,  as  to  the  humble  servants:  "Enter  into  the  joy  of  your 
Lord." 


NINETEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  235 

NINETEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
EXCUSES  FOR  UNBELIEF 

"And  Jesus  walked  in  the  Temple,  in  Solomon's  porch.  The  Jews  therefore 
came  round  about  Him,  and  said  to  Him :  'How  long  dost  Thou  hold  our 
souls  in  suspense?'  If  thou  be  the  Christ,  tell  us  plainly.  Jesus  answered 
them,  'I  speak  to  you,  and  you  believe  not.' " — John  x,  23-25. 

I.  Excuses  for  Unbelief — "How  long  dost  Thou  hold  our  souls 
in  suspense  ?"  This  question  suggests  great  zeal  and  earnest  efforts 
to  ascertain  the  truth.  "If  Thou  be  the  Christ,  tell  us  plainly." 
These  words  contain  a  veiled  reproach,  and  an  attempt  to  excuse 
the  incredulity  of  the  speakers,  who  hint  that  Christ  did  not  help 
them  in  their  honest  quest  of  truth,  and  did  not  tell  them  plainly 
enough  whether  He  was  the  Son  of  God.  Also  He  had  not  per- 
formed any  miracle  in  order  to  convince  them.  On  the  side  of  the 
Jews  there  was  apparently  great  eagerness  to  acquire  certainty;  on 
that  of  Christ  there  were  neither  words  nor  actions  calculated  to 
supply  it,  and  under  these  circumstances  the  Jews  considered  them- 
selves quite  justified  in  persisting  in  their  unbelief. 

How  apt  men  are  to  deceive  themselves!  We  need  not  take  it 
for  granted  that  these  Jews  intended  to  tell  lies,  but  they  undoubtedly 
were  deceiving  themselves,  as  we  see  from  our  Lord's  reply.  He 
told  them  that  His  words  and  works  clearly  revealed  Him  to  be 
the  Messiah.  Even  the  legal  officials  acknowledged :  "Never  did 
man  speak  like  this  man"  (John  vii,  46)  ;  but  they  did  not  believe. 
No  human  being  could  cure  the  deaf,  the  blind,  the  lame  and  even 
lepers,  no  one  else  could  raise  the  dead  to  life  by  uttering  a  word, — 
but  the  Jews  refused  to  believe.     No  amount  of  testimony  made 


236      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

any  impression  upon  them,  and  therefore  their  zeal  was  not  genuine 
at  all,  and  they  were  deceiving  themselves.  Their  fault  was  that 
they  had  not  the  will  to  believe ;  they  were  not  in  earnest  about  the 
truth,  and  their  excuse  was  only  an  evasion. 

Are  people  at  the  present  day  much  better  than  the  Jews?  We 
cannot  of  course  pronounce  all  uncertainty  and  doubt  with  regard 
to  Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  result  of  an  evil  will;  it  is  undeniable  that 
both  in  the  past  and  now  there  have  always  been  honest  men,  who 
doubt  in  spite  of  having  a  good  will  to  seek  and  discover  the  truth. 
It  would  be  unfair  to  blame  either  these  or  another  class  of  people, 
who  have  attained  to  a  partial  knowledge  of  the  truth,  but  seem 
unable  to  go  further.  Still  there  are  many  at  the  present  time  who 
resemble  our  Lord's  contemporaries,  who  shut  their  eyes  obstinately 
to  what  is  an  obvious  truth,  because  it  does  not  suit  them  to  believe 
it.  If  any  truth  is  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  the  age  or  to  the  demands 
of  modern  science,  they  profess  themselves  incapable  of  believing  it. 
If  you  talk  about  anything  that  sounds  quite  up  to  date,  and  takes 
their  fancy  and  flatters  their  pride,  they  are  ready  enough  to  accept 
what  you  say  as  gospel  truth.  They  would  believe  anyone  who  told 
them  that  the  moon  was  made  of  green  cheese;  they  tolerate  and 
even  welcome  the  most  outrageous  nonsense  and  the  most  dangerous 
errors,  provided  always  that  the  speaker  possesses  the  art  of  pre- 
senting his  views  in  a  plausible  fashion. 

We  must  expect  such  people  to  offer  the  most  obstinate  resistance 
to  plain  truth,  if  it  would  disturb  their  wonted  opinions,  or  compel 
them  to  reflect  and  perhaps  to  acknowledge  themselves  to  have  been 
in  the  wrong.  The  worst  thing  is  that  they  pride  themselves  on 
being  free  from  prejudices  and  ardent  lovers  of  truth;  only  a  few 
have  any  suspicion  of  the  force  and  extent  of  such  fatal  self- 
deception. 


NINETEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  237 

Is  this  self-deception  unavoidable?  or  is  it  possible  to  attain  to 
absolute  certainty  regarding  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Christianity  and 
the  Church  ?  Yes,  thank  God,  it  is  possible ;  certainty  is  within  our 
reach,  and  will  grow  stronger  and  stronger. 

II.  Certainty  on  Matters  of  Faith — Jesus  Christ  said  plainly  that 
He  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  one  with  the  Father.  Some  refuse 
to  accept  His  testimony  without  proof,  and  say  with  the  Jews : 
"Thou  bearest  witness  to  Thyself,  therefore  it  is  untrue."  Surely 
we  shall  not  follow  their  example,  and  make  this  excuse. 

Consider  our  Lord's  life,  words  and  works.  His  infinite  purity, 
His  boundless  charity,  even  towards  His  enemies;  think  how  He 
died  in  indescribable  anguish  for  the  sins  of  men,  friends  and  foes 
alike,  and  then  tell  me  if  any  one  more  perfect  has  ever  lived  on 
earth.  Compare  Him  with  the  best  and  noblest  of  our  race,  and 
you  will  have  to  confess  that  their  merits  pale  beside  His  glory. 
Then  remember  that  He,  being  what  He  was,  said  of  Himself:  "I 
am  the  Son  of  God ;  I  and  the  Father  are  one." 

I  beg  you  to  attend  closely  to  the  deduction  that  inevitably  fol- 
lows : — Either  our  Lord  spoke  the  truth,  or  He  was  the  greatest 
deceiver  that  the  world  has  ever  known.  We  must  either  accept  this 
latter  alternative,  or,  like  Thomas,  exclaim  in  adoration :  "My  Lord 
and  my  God." 

Jesus  Christ  was  so  pure  and  holy,  that  He  had  a  peculiar  right 
to  bear  testimony  to  Himself,  and  His  testimony  is  the  foundation 
of  our  certainty ;  we  may  surely  believe  Him,  rather  than  any  one 
else,  when  He  speaks  of  Himself. 

He  refers  to  His  works  in  support  of  our  behef  in  His  divinity: 
"The  works  that  I  do  in  the  name  of  my  Father,  they  give  testimony 
of  me."  "If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father,  believe  me  not." 
One  single  miracle,  the  raising  of  one  dead  man  to  life,  would 


238     CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

suffice  to  establish  His  claim  to  our  belief;  but  His  whole  life  was 
spent  in  working  miracles,  and  that  their  testimony  is  irrefragable 
appears  from  the  efforts  made  by  unbelievers  to  explain  them  away. 
We  are  told  that  the  mysterious  light  at  Bethlehem  proceeded  from 
a  lantern,  left  behind  by  the  shepherds;  that  the  feeding  of  the 
multitudes  in  the  wilderness  never  took  place ;  that  walking  on  the 
water  means  simply  walking  beside  the  water — would  the  disciples 
have  cried  out  in  fear,  thinking  that  they  had  seen  a  spirit,  if  it 
was  nothing  but  a  man  walking  on  the  shore  of  the  lake  ?  Lazarus — 
although  decomposition  had  set  in,  was  only  apparently  dead,  as 
was  our  Lord  Himself,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  His  Heart  was 
pierced  by  a  lance,  etc.,  etc. 

It  is  impossible  for  unbelievers  to  get  rid  of  the  miracles  wrought 
by  Christ ;  they  compel  us  to  put  faith  in  His  words,  when  He  says 
of  Himself:  "I  am  the  Son  of  God;  I  and  the  Father  are  one." 
They  add  perfect  certainty  to  our  faith. 

Our  Lord  speaks  of  believers  as  His  sheep,  to  whom  He  gives 
eternal  life,  and  whom  no  one  can  pluck  out  of  His  hand.  They 
follow  Him,  not  in  dead  faith,  which  has  no  effect  on  a  man's  life, 
but  in  living  faith,  submitting  to  His  will  in  humble  obedience.  The 
more  they  mortify  their  own  will  in  order  to  accomplish  His  will, 
the  happier  are  they,  and  the  stronger  grows  their  faith  in  Him  who 
directs  their  way,  so  that  they  increase  in  assurance  and  certainty 
regarding  Him  in  whom  they  believe.  He  bestows  upon  them  life 
everlasting ;  from  His  words  and  Sacraments  they  derive  strength  to 
overcome  the  world  with  its  trials  and  sorrows,  and  this  strength 
comforts  and  sustains  them  in  life  and  in  death.  No  man  can  pluck 
them  out  of  His  hand.  History  shows  us  that  this  is  true ;  nothing 
has  ever  succeeded  in  overthrowing  the  Church  of  Christ,  not  the 
violence  of  the   secular  power,   not  the  ingenious  arguments   of 


NINETEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  239 

scholars,  not  the  shafts  of  ridicule  nor  the  allurements  of  sensuality. 
The  Church  stood  firm,  when  all  around  her  fell  into  ruins.  Yes, 
we  may  be  absolutely  certain  regarding  our  Saviour.  May  we  be 
faithful  to  the  truth  that  we  possess ;  if  we  are  loyal  to  it,  no  power 
on  earth  will  ever  be  able  to  rob  us  of  our  crown. 


240       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

TWENTIETH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
COMMANDMENTS  AND  COUNSELS 

"And  when  He  was  gone  forth  into  the  way,  a  certain  man  running  up  and 
kneeling  before  Him,  asked  Him:  'Good  Master,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may 
receive  life  everlasting?'" — Mark  x,  17. 

I.  Keep  the  Commandments — A  rich  young  man  came  running 
up  to  Jesus,  and  suddenly  knelt  down  before  Him.  The  evangelist 
undoubtedly  recorded  these  details  becausetthey  show  that  the  young 
man  had  some  important  matter  in  his  mind;  he  was  anxious,  and 
his  anxiety  found  expression  in  the  words:  "What  shall  I  do  that 
I  may  receive  life  everlasting?" 

This  is  indeed  the  greatest  question  that  a  man  can  ask ;  it  reveals 
his  consciousness  that  his  happiness  in  this  life  and  the  next  is  at 
stake.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  young  man  was  in  earnest, 
and  so  our  Lord  would  certainly  give  him  a  clear  and  decisive 
answer  to  his  question. 

Some  people  would  probably  find  fault  with  the  man  for  even 
asking  such  a  thing,  and  say :  "Do  you  not  know  that  we  can  do 
nothing  at  all  towards  securing  our  salvation ;  God  does  everything. 
Therefore  do  not  ask  what  you  must  do,  but  what  you  must  believe. 
Man  is  justified  by  faith,  without  the  works  of  the  law." 

Did  our  Saviour  speak  thus  ?  No,  He  referred  the  young  man  to 
the  law,  saying:  "Thou  knowest  the  commandments,  if  thou  wilt 
enter  into  life,  keep  them."  Then,  lest  there  should  be  any  doubt 
as  to  which  commandments  He  meant,  our  Lord  proceeded  to  quote 
some  of  the  decalogue.  He  acted  in  the  same  way  when  a  lawyer 
asked  a  similar  question.  "What  is  written  in  the  law,  how  readest 
thou  ?"  said  our  Lord,  and  the  man  replied :  "Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  heart,  and  with  thy  whole  soul,  and 


TWENTIETH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  241 

with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself."  "Thou  hast  answered  right,"  said  our  Saviour,  "this  do, 
and  thou  shalt  live"  (Luke  x,  25 — 28). 

Christ's  answer  to  the  all-important  question  is   clear  enough: 
"Keep  God's   commandments,   and  thou  shalt  have   eternal   life." 
Those  who  fancy  that  we  can  do  nothing  whatever  towards  securing 
life  everlasting,  would  do  well  to  reflect  on  these  words,  and  on  the 
young  man's  reply:  "All  these  things  I  have  observed   from  my 
youth."    If  they  had  been  present  they  would  have  called  him  a  self- 
righteous  fool,  or  an  arrogant  simpleton,  for  supposing,  not  only 
that  it  was  possible  to  keep  God's  commandments,  but  that  he  had 
actually  done  so.     They  would  have  told  him  that  he  could  not 
keep  a  single  one  of  the  commandments,  and  that  he  was  a  liar 
when  he  professed  to  have  kept,  not  one  only,  but  all.    Jesus  how- 
ever did  not  rebuke  the  young  man  in  any  way;  on  the  contrary 
we  are  told  thjrt  He  looked  at  him  and  loved  him.    So  many  distorted 
opinions  are  current  regarding  faith  and  works,  that  it  is  not  sur- 
prising if  all  sorts  of  ingenious  attempts  have  been  made  to  explain 
away  this  passage.    Some  assert  that  our  Lord  did  not  mean  what 
He  said,  when  He  told  the  young  man  to  keep  the  commandments. 
He  meant  that  no  one  could  keep  them,  and  as  a  result  of  keeping 
them  could  obtain  life  everlasting.     He  spoke  as  He  did,  in  order 
that  the  young  man  might  examine  himself  by  the  standard  of  the 
law,  and  so  make  the  humiliating  discovery  that  he  was  incapable 
of  keeping  them.     Another  answer  would  have  been  given  sub- 
sequently, if  the  man  had  returned  later,  and  repeated  his  question 
with  greater  humility.     This  theory  is  put  forward,  although  no 
one  can  adduce  a  parallel  instance  showing  that  Jesus  ever  acted 
thus  towards  people  who  came  to  Him.    Tt  is  impossible  to  suppose 
that  He  ever  thought  one  thing  and  said  another. 


242       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

He  never  taught  that  the  end  justified  the  means;  He  never 
adopted  devious  paths  by  which  to  reach  His  goal ;  He  never  said 
what  He  did  not  mean;  He  never  was  guilty  of  ambiguity.  If  He 
had  spoken  with  the  intention  ascribed  to  Him,  He  would  have 
frustrated  His  own  designs,  for  nowhere  are  we  told  that  the  rich 
young  man  and  the  lawyer  came  back  to  Him.  It  is  quite  a  mistake 
to  assume  that  our  Lord  intentionally  concealed  His  meaning,  or  at 
least  made  it  very  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  for  men  to  discover  it. 
No  reasonable  father  treats  his  children  thus,  but  puts  his  orders  as 
plainly  as  he  can;  and  God,  who  knows  how  hard  it  is  for  us  poor 
sinners  to  do  His  will,  would  never  place  additional  difficulties  in 
our  way  by  presenting  it  to  us  in  an  unintelligible  form.  If  we 
consider  our  Lord's  words  simply,  and  assign  to  them  their  obvious 
meaning,  we  learn  that  we  are  bound  to  keep  God's  commandments, 
if  we  wish  to  enjoy  everlasting  life.  Consequently  it  must  be  pos- 
sible for  us  to  keep  them,  since  God  does  not  impose  upon  us  duties 
that  we  are  unable  to  perform.  We  could  not  arrive  at  any  other 
conclusion,  even  if  Christ  had  spoken  less  plainly.  What  should  we 
think  of  any  one  who  commanded  us  to  fly  up  to  the  moon,  well 
knowing  that  it  was  an  impossibility?  We  should  certainly  call  him 
a  most  unreasonable  person,  and  yet  some  people  assume  that  God 
orders  us  to  keep  His  commandments,  knowing  that  we  are  quite 
incapable  of  doing  so.  If  this  were  the  case,  we  might  say,  like 
the  servant  in  the  parable:  "Lord — I  feared  thee  because  thou  art 
an  austere  man;  thou  takest  up  what  thou  didst  not  lay  down,  and 
thou  reapest  that  which  thou  didst  not  sow." 

But  this  is  not  the  truth,  and  Jesus  tells  us  that  we  not  only  must 
keep  the  commandments  in  order  to  enter  into  life,  but  also  that  we 
can  do  so.  It  is  our  duty  simply  to  accept  this  statement,  but  we 
should  misinterpret  our  Lord's  words  if  we  inferred  from  them 


TWENTIETH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  243 

that  we  are  able  to  keep  the  Commandments  by  our  own  natural 
powers,  or  that  He  requires  the  most  perfect  observance  of  the 
law  as  an  indispensable  condition  to  the  attainment  of  everlasting 
life.  We  may  do  our  duty  imperfectly,  and  still  do  it.  In  ordinary 
language  we  say  of  an  obedient  child  that  he  acts  in  accordance 
with  his  father's  will ;  no  one  would  call  him  disobedient  because  his 
conformity  to  that  will  is  not  absolutely  perfect.  It  may  occur  to 
some  one  to  ask  whether  faith,  or  the  necessity  of  faith,  is  excluded 
by  this  doctrine  that  the  fulfilment  of  God's  law  is  indispensable  to 
salvation;  in  other  words,  whether  Jesus  spoke  of  works,  instead 
of  faith,  as  leading  to  life  eternal.  We  certainly  ought  not  to  answer 
such  a  question  in  the  affirmative,  for  our  divine  Lord  Himself, 
when  asked  by  the  Jews :  "What  shall  we  do,  that  we  may  work  the 
works  of  God?"  replied:  "This  is  the  work  of  God,  that  you  believe 
in  Him  whom  He  hath  sent."  Therefore  when  He  bids  us  do  God's 
work,  if  we  would  enter  into  life  everlasting,  Christ  refers  both  to 
faith  and  to  the  keeping  of  the  Commandments.  Both  together  make 
up  God's  work,  God's  law  and  God's  will. 

If  only  men  would  follow  our  Lord's  example,  and  be  more  simple 
and  straightforward  in  their  thoughts  and  words !  Then  it  would 
be  plain  that  the  faith  required  of  us  is  living  faith,  bearing  fruit 
in  good  works,  and  that  we  cannot  enter  into  life  with  hearts  uncon- 
verted and  stained  with  sin.  The  long  dispute  about  faith  and  works 
ought  to  be  abandoned;  it  is  already  only  a  matter  of  words,  and 
happily  there  are  signs  that  it  will  ere  long  be  at  an  end. 

11.  "One  Thing  is  Wanting  Unto  Thee" — This  final  admonition 
to  the  rich  young  man  must  certainly  seem  strange  to  those  who 
are  unfamiliar  with  the  old  interpretation  of  it  given  by  the  Church. 
"One  thing  is  wanting  unto  thee :  go,  sell  whatsoever  thou  hast,  and 
give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  Heaven ;  and  come, 


244       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AXD  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

follow  Me." — Can  this  be  required  of  all  who  desire  to  enter  into 
life?  In  order  to  avoid  this  apparently  harsh  conclusion,  recourse 
is  had  to  all  sorts  of  ingenious  explanations.  We  are  told  that  our 
Lord  was  speaking  in  a  spiritual  sense,  and  that  the  real  meaning 
is:  "Keep  your  possessions,  but  distribute  them  spiritually;  be 
detached  from  all  affection  to  Mammon."  But  do  Christ's  plain, 
emphatic  words  convey  nothing  more  ?  Did  the  young  man  under- 
stand them  thus?  This  explanation  seems  on  a  level  with  that 
suggested  for  the  miracle  at  Cana,  which  appears  to  be  prompted 
by  fear  lest  the  guests  might  have  made  a  bad  use  of  the  wine.  In 
that  case  we  are  told  that  what  Jesus  provided  was  spiritual  wine ! 
If  we  assign  a  spiritual  interpretation  to  our  Lord's  words  to  the 
rich  young  man,  we  arrive  at  a  very  convenient  solution  of  the 
difficulty;  a  man  might  even  continue  to  be  a  slave  to  Mammon, 
whilst  fancying  that  he  was  free : — so  apt  is  the  human  heart  to 
deceive  itself. 

The  real  explanation  is  this :  Our  Saviour  advises  the  rich  young 
man  to  give  aAvay  all  his  possessions,  and  follow  Him  in  poverty 
along  the  way  of  the  Cross ;  but  He  does  not  demand  this  of  every 
one,  as  a  condition  indispensable  to  salvation.  In  olden  times  some 
people  assumed  that  the  counsel  was  addressed  to  all,  and  a  very 
great  author  (Clement  of  Alexandria)  thought  it  necessary  to  write 
a  book  in  defence  of  riches.  No;  our  Lord  does  not  demand  this 
of  every  one,  any  more  than  during  His  life  on  earth  He  required 
everyone  to  follow  Him  up  and  down  the  country,  Salvation  is 
possible  without  such  a  sacrifice,  although  it  is  recommended  to 
those  who  are  capable  of  making  it.  "If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  do 
this."  The  Fathers  understand  the  words  thus,  and  the  Church  in 
every  age  has  taught  that  this  is  their  meaning.  It  is  in  harmony 
with  their  simple  and  obvious  signification,  and  we  may  believe  that 


TWENTIETH  SUNDAY  AETER  PENTECOST  245 

we  can  retain  our  possessions  and  yet  be  saved,  although  we  may 
not  reach  the  highest  perfection.  Failure  to  appreciate  the  clear 
distinction  between  counsels  and  commandments  has  led  to  very 
disastrous  results.  The  Church  has  always  recognized  it,  but  some 
have  regarded  as  a  commandment,  of  universal  obligation  for  all 
who  desire  to  be  saved,  what  was  intended  to  be  a  counsel,  ad- 
dressed to  individuals,  and  only  to  be  carried  out  by  a  special  grace 
of  God.  This  mistake  has  led  to  a  misunderstanding  of  Christianity 
and  Christian  morality ;  and  people  fancy  that  they  have  to  choose 
between  a  total  abandonment  of  Christianity,  and  an  attempt  to 
comply  with  demands  which  99  in  every  100  human  beings  are 
incapable  of  fulfilling.  How  much  unhappiness  is  the  result !  There 
are  so  many,  more,  probably,  than  we  imagine,  whom  God  calls  to 
labor  in  His  vineyard,  and  who  are  ready  and  eager  to  do  so;  yet 
they  give  up  all  hopes  of  serving  Him,  because  they  discover,  a-s 
they  suppose,  that  it  is  impossible  to  lead  a  Christian  life,  and  that 
Christianity  is  all  an  illusion.  They  fail  to  distinguish  between 
commandments  and  counsels,  and  come  to  the  conclusion  that  they 
cannot  comply  with  a  counsel,  that  they  assume  to  be  a  command- 
ment. Hence  they  fall  into  doubt  and  despair.  Even  this  despair  is 
not  the  worst  consequence  of  a  doctrine  that  maintains  it  to  be  a 
matter  of  strict  obligation  under  all  circumstances  to  discover  the 
highest  possible  aim,  and  to  use  the  best  means  of  attaining  it. 
Erroneous  teaching  on  this  point  has  ere  now  driven  many  conscien- 
tious people  out  of  their  minds.  "How,"  they  ask,  "can  I  invariably 
discover  with  absolute  certainty  what  is  the  best  course?"  They 
torture  themselves  until  their  brain  power  gives  way  under  the 
strain.  We  may  be  quite  sure  that  moral  teaching  with  such  results 
cannot  be  right. 

In  other  cases  it  leads  to  a  dull  kind  of  indifference.    As  soon  as 


246      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

people  take  it  into  their  heads  that  it  is  not  enough  for  them  to  be 
good,  but  that  they  will  not  be  saved  unless  they  aim  at  the  highest 
imaginable  perfection,  they  think  that  it  is  useless  for  them  to  try 
to  do  right,  since  this  exalted  perfection  is  beyond  their  reach.  In 
other  words,  they  set  no  value  on  what  is  good,  because  it  is  not 
the  best.  Here  again  we  may  safely  pronounce  a  form  of  moral 
teaching  to  be  bad,  if  it  affords  no  safeguard  against  such  arguments, 
and  leads  to  moral  indifference.  A  true  comprehension  of  the  dis- 
tinction between  counsels  and  commandments  is  of  the  greatest 
practical  importance. 


TWENTY -FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  247 


TWENTY-FIRST   SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST 

THE  RIGHT  AND  THE  WRONG  APPLICATION  OF  THE 
WORDS:    "ALL  IS  READY" 

"Hear  ye  another  parable :  There  was  a  man,  a  householder,  who  planted 
a  vineyard  .  .  .  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen,  and  went  into  a  strange  coun- 
try."— Matt  xxi,  2Z- 

There  are  three  passages  in  the  Gospel  with  a  common  funda- 
mental idea,  which  may  be  expressed  in  the  words — on  God's  side, 
all  is  ready  for  us.  The  marriage  feast  is  ready  (Matt,  xxii.)  ;  the 
heavenly  treasure  is  ready  (Matt,  xiii,  44),  and  the  work  in  God's 
vineyard  awaits  us.  Let  us  consider  what  we  may  learn  from  this 
thought. 

I.  The  wisdom  of  this  world  often  is  incapable  of  supplying  us 
with  any  work  worthy  of  an  immortal  soul ;  although  men  labor 
incessantly  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  body,  to  provide  luxuries 
and  comforts,  and  to  gratify  sensual  desires.  Even  if  they  catch 
occasional  glimpses  of  something  higher,  everything  seems  to  de- 
pend upon  their  own  efforts.  They  are  required  not  only  to  choose 
their  aim,  but  to  discover  the  means  and  provide  themselves  with 
the  strength  necessary  for  its  attainment,  and  this  they  are  unable 
to  do. 

But  it  is  otherwise  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  where  He  prepares 
for  us  a  task  worthy  of  us  in  all  respects.  A  householder  planted 
a  vineyard,  and  made  a  hedge  round  about  it,  and  dug  in  it  a  press, 
and  built  a  tower — in  short  he  made  all  preparations  for  the  laborers, 
who  were  to  be  called  to  work  in  the  vineyard.  This  means  that 
in  the  Kingdom  of  God  ail  is  ready  for  us,  and  the  means  requisite 
for  successful  work  are  at  our  disposal. 


248       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AXD  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

Yes,  the  Church,  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  earth,  is  prepared  to 
welcome  us  as  laborers.  At  baptism  a  child  is  made  the  servant 
of  God,  and  receives  power  to  labor  faithfully  in  the  vineyard, 
with  every  prospect  of  receiving  the  wages  due  to  him  at  nightfall. 
If  God  perceives  that  one  of  His  servants  is  unfaithful  to  his 
covenant,  He  seeks  to  call  him  back  and  persuades  him  to  resume 
work.  In  His  Church  He  has  words  of  instruction  for  the  ignorant, 
of  warning  for  the  fickle,  and  of  comfort  for  the  weary,  oppressed 
by  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.  He  makes  ready  a  banquet  in 
His  Church,  a  holy  feast  at  which  He  gives  us  Himself,  His  own 
life  and  His  divine  and  human  nature,  that  He  may  sanctify  our 
human  nature,  cleanse  and  strengthen  us  and  give  us  fresh  strength 
to  work  out  our  own  salvation  in  fear  and  trembling,  strength  to 
labor  faithfully  unto  the  end,  and  so  to  obtain  the  crown  of  life. 

Thus  on  God's  side  all  is  ready,  and  we  continually  hear  His 
invitation  to  go  and  work  in  His  vineyard.  In  all  places  His  grace 
encounters  us ;  it  is  like  the  air  that  we  breathe,  all  around  us 
wherever  we  go,  and  if  we  correspond  to  it,  it  will  make  our  lives 
blossom  and  bear  fruit  to  His  honor. 

II.  The  servants  are  sent  to  labor  in  the  vineyard,  in  unselfish 
loyalty  towards  their  Master,  who  will  come  at  the  time  of  harvest, 
to  receive  the  fruit.  Loyalty  requires  us  to  work  not  for  ourselves, 
but  for  God. 

We  are  in  the  vineyard  as  workers.  Some  do  not  realize  this 
fact,  and,  when  they  hear  that  all  is  ready  on  God's  side,  assume 
that  nothing  is  left  for  them  to  do.  They  fancy  that  faith,  even 
dead  faith,  is  enough ;  that  grace  is  free,  and  able  to  accomplish 
everything.  It  pleases  them  to  have  recourse  to  grace,  which  covers 
up  all  sins  of  heart  and  life,  and  casts  a  veil  over  all  their  evil  dis- 
positions, so  that  there  is  no  need  for  them  to  bestir  themselves,  in 


TWENTY-FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  249 

order  to  remove  the  stains  disfiguring  their  souls,  and  to  lead  a  holy- 
life.  This  is  an  attractive  doctrine,  and  it  represents  the  call  to 
labor  in  the  vineyard  as  meaning  simply  that  unmerited  grace, 
ascribed  or  imputed  to  men,  may  make  them  appear  good,  not  that 
they  need  exert  themselves  really  to  become  better.  Such  a  doctrine 
could  be  taught  only  by  a  man  who  had  altogether  failed  to  under- 
stand God's  design  in  preparing  everything  for  us.  If  on  the  con- 
trary we  believe  that  it  is  really  our  duty  to  be  good,  we  must  not 
imagine  that  to  become  good  calls  for  no  effort  on  our  part;  we 
shall  find  it  very  hard  work,  and  St.  Paul  warns  us  that  this  will 
be  the  case,  for  he  bids  us  work  out  our  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling  (Phil,  ii,  12),  and  says:  "Let  us  cleanse  ourselves  from 
all  defilement  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  spirit,  perfecting  sanctification 
in  the  fear  of  God"  (2  Cor.  vii,  i).  It  behooves  us  to  remember 
these  words,  but  at  the  same  time  never  to  forget  that  God's  grace 
furnishes  us  with  strength  to  work,  since  "it  is  God  who  worketh 
in  us  both  to  will  and  to  accomplish  according  to  His  good  will" 
(Phil,  ii,  13).  "Not  that  we  are  sufficient  to  think  anything  of  our- 
selves; but  our  sufficiency  is  from  God"  (2  Cor.  iii,  5).  Yes  in- 
deed we  can  do  all  things  in  Him  who  strengtheneth  us    (Phil. 

iv,  13). 

We  must  not  only  work,  but  we  must  work  faithfully,  forgetting 
and  denying  ourselves.  There  can  be  no  loyalty  without  self- 
denial.  Some  of  the  laborers  in  the  vineyard  were  unwilling  to 
deny  themselves,  and,  being  discontented  with  the  wages  that  they 
received,  they  wished  to  appropriate  the  revenue  of  the  vineyard; 
their  greed  caused  them  to  fall  into  sin  and  crime,  and  they  were 
punished  by  being  deprived  of  their  position. 

Our  service  of  God  should  be  true  worship  aiming  at  His  exalta- 
tion and  honor,  and  not  exclusively  or  even  primarily  at  our  own 


250      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

gratification  and  pleasure.  In  all  our  words  and  actions  we  must 
do  our  duty,  not  seeking  our  own  will  in  anything,  whether  great 
or  small,  but  trying  always  to  know  and  accomplish  the  will  of 
God.     If  we  do  this,  we  shall  be  faithful  servants. 

Finally,  fidelity  will  cost  us  many  sacrifices,  and  our  Lord  says 
that  none  can  be  His  disciple  who  will  not  deny  himself.  The 
Saints  deemed  no  sacrifice  too  costly  to  make  for  God ;  do  we  agree 
with  them?  Let  us  beware  of  judging  others,  and  be  content  to 
examine  ourselves;  life  is  made  up  of  sacrifices,  and  we  must  all 
pray  that  we  may  oflfer  them  to  God  in  purity  of  heart,  and  that 
our  Lord  will  help  us  to  be  faithful  unto-  death,  so  that  the  Kingdom 
of  God  may  not  be  taken  away  from  us. 


TWENTY -SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  251 

TWENTY-SECOND   SUNDAY   AFTER   PENTECOST 
OBSTACLES   TO   OUR   FAITH 

"Jesus  therefore  said  to  him :  'Unless  you  see  signs  and  wonders,  you 
believe  not.' " — John  iv,  48. 

I.  There  was  in  Capharnaum  a  centurion,  of  whom  our  Lord 
said:  "I  have  not  found  so  great  faith,  not  even  in  Israel."  But 
the  ruler,  of  whom  we  read  to-day,  received  the  rebuke :  "Unless 
you  see  signs  and  wonders,  you  believe  not."  After  that,  it  did  not 
seem  as  if  there  were  much  prospect  of  his  request  being  granted. 
Our  Saviour  required  of  him  absolute  faith  in  His  words ;  He  was 
willing  to  work  a  miracle  to  strengthen  the  man's  faith,  but  not  to 
be  the  reason  for  it.  If  this  ruler  had  really  belonged  to  the  class 
of  those  who  refused  to  believe  Christ's  words,  but  desires  to  see 
His  works,  and  then  perhaps  to  believe,  his  prayer  would  certainly 
not  have  been  granted.  The  fact  however  that  our  Lord  did  what 
he  wanted,  proves  that  he  had  at  least  a  glimmer  of  faith  in  his 
heart.  He  actually  displayed  his  faith,  for  on  hearing  the  words: 
"Go  thy  way,  thy  son  liveth,"  he  "believed  the  word  which  Jesus 
said  to  him,  and  went  his  way."  Why  did  our  Lord  begin  by 
reproaching  him?  Let  us  compare  this  story  with  another  that 
resembles  it  in  this  respect.  The  woman  of  Canaan  had  to  pester 
our  Saviour  with  her  petitions  before  He  said :  "Be  it  done  to  thee 
as  thou  wilt."  Why  did  He  act  thus,  and  apparently  put  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  these  two  persons  ?  Because  in  spiritual,  as  well  as  in 
temporal  matters,  exercise  increases  our  strength.  A  victor  is 
stronger  after  a  contest  than  before  it.  The  ruler  believed  what 
Girist  said,  and,  as  we  read  that  on  his  return  home  he  himself 


252       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

believed  and  his  whole  house,  it  is  plain  that  his  faith  was  greatly 
increased  by  the  miraculous  answer  to  his  prayer. 

2.  Let  us  consider  some  of  the  hindrances  in  the  way  of  our 
faith,  which,  if  they  do  not  actually  originate  with  our  Lord,  are  at 
least  permitted  and  not  removed  by  Him.  They  are  often  great 
trials  and  bring  upon  us  many  reproaches.  Many  of  us  have  to 
fight  hard  for  a  foothold  on  the  path  of  faith.  Alany,  like  the 
ruler  of  old,  have  prayed  earnestly  for  the  life  of  a  child,  have 
offered  their  supplications  in  the  name  of  Him  who  said:  "What- 
soever you  shall  ask  the  Father  in  My  Name,  that  will  I  do";  yet 
their  request  is  not  granted,  and  the  child  dies.  Then  comes  the 
temptation  to  say:  "Is  it  true  that  we  shall  receive  whatever  we 
ask  in  the  name  of  Jesus?"  This  is  in  itself  a  hard  trial,  but  it  is 
not  the  worst,  and  St.  James  supplies  the  explanation  that  we  need : 
"You  ask  and  receive  not,  because  you  ask  amiss"  (James  iv,  3). 
In  our  folly  w^e  assume  that  we  are  the  best  judges  of  what  is  good 
for  us,  and  we  pray  accordingly.  We  do  not  follow  our  Lord's 
example  and  say :  "Take  the  chalice  from  me ;  nevertheless  not  my 
will,  but  Thine  be  done,"  We  pray  badly,  and  so  we  do  not  receive 
what  w-e  ask. 

3.  That  earthly  or  temporal  favors  should  be  withheld  or  with- 
drawn is  not  however  the  most  painful  experience  that  we  may  have 
to  undergo.  It  is  far  worse  to  feel  that  our  spiritual  and  eternal 
welfare  is  imperilled.  The  poor,  for  instance,  often  argue  thus: 
"It  is  all  very  well  for  priests  to  talk  about  the  advantages  of  pov- 
erty, and  its  power  to  purify  the  soul — would  they  speak  in  the 
same  way  if  they  had  really  felt  privations,  and  had  suffered  hunger 
and  cold  as  we  do?  I  see  no  signs  of  purification  as  a  result  of 
my  poverty;  on  the  contrary  it  makes  me  bitter,  hard  and  angry. 
I  am  tormented  by  fearful  temptations  to  steal  and  to  deceive  and 


TWENTY-SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  253 

rob  others.  I  feel  inclined  to  cast  aside  Christianity  and  all  mor- 
ality, and  to  join  the  anarchists  who  preach  that  might  is  right. 
All  my  better  qualities  are  decaying.  Are  priests  exposed  to  such 
temptations?  If  not,  it  is  all  very  well  for  them  to  talk,  they  know 
nothing  about  it." 

4.  There  is  however  something  even  worse  than  this.  Sometimes 
we  come  across  a  man  who  once,  perhaps,  in  the  course  of  an 
otherwise  honest  life,  has  committed  a  sin  that  has  brought  him 
into  the  deepest  misery;  he  loses  everything,  his  good  name,  honor 
and  property,  and  drags  his  family  down  with  him  into  poverty 
and  shame.  God  seems  to  have  no  mercy  upon  him,  even  God's 
justice  appears  to  have  failed,  and  when  once  a  man's  faith  in 
Divine  Mercy  and  justice  has  vanished,  nothing  but  despair  remains. 

5.  What  can  we  say  when  we  encounter  misery  such  as  I  have 
been  describing?  Eloquent  phrases  are  of  no  avail,  and  often  we 
feel  unable  to  speak  at  all,  and  prefer  to  keep  silence  and  simply 
pray  for  the  sufferer,  since  our  feeble  attempts  at  consolation  might 
only  aggravate  his  agony.  It  may  be  better  to  say  nothing,  and 
leave  the  poor  soul  in  God's  hands.  Occasionally,  however,  it  may 
do  some  good  to  ask:  "How  can  you  venture  to  reproach  God  for 
your  troubles?  Do  you  know  the  measure  of  your  guilt  so  accu- 
rately, as  to  be  able  to  decide  what  precise  degree  of  punishment 
you  deserve  ?  If  we  really  examine  our  faults  they  often  prove  to 
be  much  more  serious  than  we  supposed.  You  say  that  it  is  terrible 
for  the  innocent  to  suffer  with  the  guilty;  of  course  this  is  true, 
but  it  is  at  least  possible  that  the  gain  to  their  souls  is  greater  than 
their  loss  of  temporal  happiness.  Remember  that  God's  justice  is 
as  far  above  our  comprehension  as  heaven  is  above  the  earth. 
God's  mercy  also  is  too  high  for  us  ever  to  understand  it  fully. 
Yet  it  exists,  veiled  indeed  behind  dark  clouds  of  sorrow,  but  ready 


254       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

to  be  revealed  in  all  its  splendor,  when  time  shall  be  no  more,  and  we 
behold  everything  in  the  light  of  God's  glory.  _  We  must  act  like 
the  ruler  in  to-day's  gospel,  the  woman  of  Canaan,  and  thousands 
of  Saints,  who  trusted  our  Lord's  words,  even  when  the  waters 
came  in  unto  their  souls.  There  are  in  Holy  Scripture  many  words 
capable  of  bringing  peace  and  comfort  to  troubled  hearts.  In  an 
hour  of  great  anxiety  I  derived  much  help  from  a  text  in  the 
Psalms:  "Thou,  O  Lord,  are  a  God  of  compassion,  and  merciful, 
patient,  and  of  much  mercy,  and  true"  (Ps.  Ixxxv,  15).  Lay  hold 
of  such  a  saying  as  this,  and  try  to  believe.  The  Lord  is  merciful 
and  gracious,  even  when  we  perceive  it  least,  and  feel  inclined  to 
think  Him  the  reverse ;  His  mercy  will  be  revealed  sooner  or  later ; 
we  shall  behold  it,  and  then  we  shall  forget  all  that  we  have  suf- 
fered. Therefore  let  us  pray:  "O  Lord,  Thy  mercy  shall  be  suffi- 
cient for  me.  Whether  it  is  displayed  in  tempest  or  in  calm,  in 
light  or  in  darkness,  in  sorrow  or  in  consolation,  or  even,  if  Thou 
seest  best,  in  terror,  let  me  never  lose  faith  in  Thy  mercy ;  may  it 
be  bestowed  as  Thou  wilt ;  I  ask  not  to  perceive  it,  but  only  to  be- 
lieve in  it."  But  perhaps  some  one  will  retort:  "Your  advice  is 
good  enough,  if  I  could  only  follow  it.  You  tell  me  to  pray,  but 
I  am  no  longer  able  to  do  so;  I  persevered  for  a  long  time,  but  it 
was  such  torture  that  at  last  I  gave  it  up.  I  tried  all  sorts  of 
prayers  in  vain ;  it  was  no  use."  My  answer  in  such  a  case  is  this : 
"You  cannot  pray?  Of  course  you  can  pray;  for  prayer  is  the 
uplifting  of  the  heart  to  God,  and  that  can  be  done  without  words." 
Once  I  saw  a  woman  sitting  with  a  child  on  her  knee  at  a  street 
corner.  They  both  looked  miserably  pale  and  poor,  and  seemed  to 
be  half  starved.  The  woman  did  not  utter  a  word,  nor  did  she 
stretch  out  her  hand  to  beg  alms  of  the  passers-by,  but  she  fixed 
her  eyes  upon  them  with  a  gaze  that  spoke  more  plainly  than  words 


TWENTY-SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  255 

could  have  done.  This  is  how  we  should  behave  in  our  distress ; 
when  speech  fails,  we  should  enter  the  presence  of  God,  kneel  down 
before  the  tabernacle,  and  reveal  to  Him  our  troubles.  If  we  gaze 
with  longing  confidence  at  Him,  we  have  no  need  of  words,  and  our 
prayer  is  sure  to  be  heard. 

Follow  my  advice,  and  you  will  go  forth  with  fresh  strength 
to  renew  the  struggle  for  your  salvation. 


356       CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

TWENTY-THIRD   SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 
FORGIVING   LOVE 

"And  the  Lord  of  that  servant,  being  moved  with  pity,  let  him  go  and  for- 
gave him  the  debt." — Matt,  xviii,  27. 

I.  God's  forgiving  love. — Ten  thousand  talents!  What  a  vast 
sum !  It  is  difficult  to  see  how  a  servant  could  possibly  have  owed 
his  master  so  much;  perhaps  the  latter  was  one  of  those  oriental 
princes  whose  wealth  was  often  fabulous.  Moreover,  the  servant 
was  no  mere  laborer,  but  an  official  holding  some  high  position,  who 
had  gradually  borrowed  enormous  sums  of  money.  No  doubt  he 
lived  far  beyond  his  means,  and  could  not  repay  what  he  borrowed, 
though  he  may  have  intended  to  do  so.  He  seems  not  to  have  kept 
his  accounts  in  order,  and  so  he  had  no  idea  of  the  extent  of  his 
indebtedness  to  his  master,  or  else  he  deliberately  shut  his  eyes 
to  it.  However  this  may  be,  his  debt  was  very  large.  Is  sin  always 
so  grave  a  matter  ?  We  speak  of  a  twofold  order  in  the  universe — 
physical  and  moral.  Suppose  that  a  disturbance  occurs  in  the 
physical  order,  and  that  one  of  the  heavenly  bodies  were  to  stray 
from  its  orbit,  and  wander  about  in  space.  Attracted  by  some 
other  body,  they  come  into  collision  and  are  both  dashed  to  pieces; 
this  would  destroy  all  equilibrium,  and  other  bodies  might  in  con- 
sequence be  diverted  from  their  orbits  and  brought  into  collision, 
and  fearful  confusion  would  result.  Yet  a  disturbance  in  the  moral 
order  is  infinitely  worse,  since  the  souls  of  men  are  more  precious 
than  the  planets  in  God's  sight.  They  are  designed  to  be  pure  and 
holy,  a  delight  to  God  and  His  angels,  but  every  sinful  thought, 
desire  and  Imagination  disturbs  the  order  that  He  wishes  to  prevail. 


TWENTY-THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST  257 

Eren  a  wicked  look  or  gesture  is  enough  to  stain  the  soul  with  sin. 
An  uncharitable  word  or  a  bad  example  has  results  that  no  one 
can  foresee.  One  man  infects  another  with  sin,  and  causes  con- 
fusion in  God's  fairest  work,  the  kingdom  of  souls,  where  purity, 
sanctity,  peace  and  joy  should  reign  supreme.  How  much  evil  can 
result  from  one  single  sin!  and  if  one  sin  may  have  such  terrible 
consequences,  what  shall  we  say  of  a  whole  life  spent  in  sin? 

"He  had  not  wherewith  to  pay  his  debt."  This  is  true  of  the  guilt 
of  sin,  for  whatever  good  the  sinner  may  have  done,  is  simply  his 
duty,  and  not  a  reparation  for  sin.  H  we  pay  for  what  we  buy 
to-day,  we  do  nothing  towards  diminishing  our  debts  contracted 
long  ago.  The  servant  certainly  deceived  himself,  if  he  really  be- 
lieved that  he  could  pay  his  debt,  but  we  may  learn  a  lesson  from 
his  mistake.  In  one  way  or  another  our  debts  have  to  be  paid. 
Many  people  would  gladly  have  their  sins  forgiven,  but  are  not  at 
all  disposed  to  do  penance  for  them.  They  are  not  satisfied  with 
being  released  from  the  guilt  of  their  sins,  but  desire  also  to  escape 
the  temporal  punishment  due  to  them,  and  refuse  to  listen  to  any 
suggestion  of  penance.  They  certainly  are  not  contrite,  for  the 
best  sign  of  contrition  is  readiness  to  accept  whatever  temporal  pun- 
ishment God  may  inflict,  and  even  voluntarily  to  make  reparation. 

"The  lord  .  .  .  forgave  him  the  debt."  If  this  seems  almost  in- 
credible leniency,  we  must  think  again  of  the  mode  of  life  at  the 
court  of  an  oriental  prince.  The  Roman  emperors  occasionally  lav- 
ished enormous  sums  on  their  favorites ;  Nero  gave  an  eastern 
prince,  who  visited  him  in  Rome,  200,000  drachmas  every  day  dur- 
ing his  visit,  and  fifty  millions  at  his  departure.  The  standard  by 
which  to  measure  God's  mercy  is  the  magnitude  of  the  sinner's 
guilt  which  is  remitted.  It  is  only  when  all  our  sins  are  forgiven 
that  we  are  at  peace.    Previously  we  tremble  in  fear  of  God's  wrath, 


258      CATHOLIC  CHRISTIANITY  AND  THE  MODERN  WORLD 

but  then  we  begin  to  love  Him,  and  sanctification,  which  is  in- 
separable from  love,  has  free  scope  for  action. 

2.  Man's  forgiving  love. — A  hundred  denarii  or  pence  amount 
to  about  £3-8-0,  a  very  trifling  sum  in  comparison  with  that  which 
the  servant  owed  his  master,  so  that  his  repulsive  cruelty  towards 
his  fellow-servant  seems  almost  incomprehensible.  No  doubt  the 
remission  of  his  own  debt  had  made  him  extremely  happy  for  a 
time,  but  we  must  not  lay  too  much  stress  upon  feelings — any  one 
is  happy  who  has  been  successful  in  some  undertaking.  But  is  not 
so  sudden  a  change  of  mood  very  unusual?  By  no  means;  a  man 
may  go  to  church,  listen  devoutly  to  the  sermon,  receive  forgiveness 
in  the  Sacrament  of  Penance  and  even  receive  Holy  Communion, 
so  that  he  goes  home  happy  and  at  peace.  But  what  happens  in 
his  own  house?  How  does  he  behave  there?  Is  he  irritable  at 
trifles,  over-sensitive,  devoid  of  affection  and  given  to  rash  and 
uncharitable  judgments  of  others?  If  so,  how  can  we  account  for 
all  this?  His  contrition  was  perhaps  genuine  for  the  moment,  but 
it  was  very  superficial,  and  based  on  changeable  emotions,  rather  than 
on  a  resolute  purpose  to  become  a  new  man  and  lead  a  better  life. 
Where  contrition  is  of  this  kind,  a  relapse  into  sin  is  inevitable. 

Love,  forgiving  and  devoted  love,  is  a  sure  proof  of  the  genuine- 
ness of  a  man's  conversion.  God  desires  us  to  forgive,  that  we  may 
be  forgiven,  and  one  who  truly  loves  God  is  ready  to  forgive  his  , 
neighbor,  since  he  believes  the  faults  of  others  to  be  trivial  in  com- 
parison with  his  own.  It  is  not  always  easy  to  feel  love,  and  this 
fact  ought  to  be  a  consolation  to  some  who  are  inclined  to  despair. 
If  we  have  no  sensible  affection,  we  can  at  least  do  our  duty  and  be 
guided  by  God's  will.  The  germ  of  love  is  always  present  in  all  who 
honestly  try  to  do  right. 


U  C  RFRKFLFYLIRRARIFS 


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